I wouldn't be concerned about a child who is old enough to understand that if he/she touches something that it will hurt them. The jolt given by the fence is enough to get your attention if you are grounded. However, when I am wearing dry shoes, I can grab right ahold of it and perhaps not feel anything. I run my charger on a deep cycle battery. At first I thought it was defective, until I took my shoe off and put my bare foot on the ground while holding the fence. Now, THAT got my attention! I would be concerned about any one with a heart condition being around an electric fence, and there is a warning to avoid shocks to the head. If you are kneeling, or have a lot of ground contact, you will get a good wake up jolt. My cats both respect the fence, and occasionally, a chicken will contact it when reaching through to get a bug. You'd have to use your judgement, re: young children. Personally, I'd be concerned about impulsive children under 4, and wouldn't have an electric fence on during the day if I had a creeping infant or a toddler. Contact with the fence is noxious enough that you won't want to repeat it, but I often test it by resting a finger on it. (Call me a slow learner!)
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