How old does your child have to be to walk to/from school on their own?

How old does your child have to be to walk to/from school on their own? Does it matter if they are a boy or girl?

An argument started at home the other day when we realized the boy who walks our daughter to and from school graduates this year. I said, "well I guess we'll have to figure something else out." And that's when my Yukon man said to me, "ya, I guess Cooper will start walking herself to school next year.

Cooper is 7. Ok she'll be 8 by the time next September rolls around. I wasn't even allowed to the corner store by myself until I was like 12. I grew up in Scarborough, in a not so nice area. My boyfriend grew up in the Yukon. He was outdoors all the time. He had to walk to the bus stop in the dark and it was an hour ride to school. He said he had freedom and so should our daughter. Am I the only one thinking, "well ya, but that's in the YUKON."

Every week I am hearing about incidents like "man in Durham, tried luring 2 girls into his car," or "smart girl runs to help after man told her to look at the kittens in his trunk." This happens all the time. I have talked endlessly to my daughter about who she can and cannot speak to, who to go to if you need help, and we have our family password, but I'm sorry. None of that will matter if she's walking on her own. I know everyone's opinion on this is completely different and some kids her age already walk to school on their own or with friends their own age, but to me it's not worth it.

So as far as next year goes, is Cooper walking to school on her own? Over my dead body.

What are you thoughts? Am I overprotective? If I am, then I am. I can live with that. But if something happened to her because I sent her walking on her own when I didn't think she was ready, that's not something I could ever live with.