Considering Cultural Relativity- Child Neglect or Independence in fiction stories?

[W_L]

After finishing Kotaro Lives Alone, a Japanese Anime/Manga series about a 4-year-old living alone in a Japanese Apartment complex, I was surprised by something I discovered about Japanese society and culture. The story, which I assumed was an impossible work of fiction for an abused kid renting an apartment with his mom's life insurance money, a history of physical abuse from his father and neglect, and finding family among strangers with their own quirks and issues, could occur in their real-life society. (If you watch it on Netflix, prepare a box of Kleenex)

Japan, unlike the West, has far more autonomy for its children. Some kids under special circumstances could be living alone without any parents to take care of them or assist them as young as 6. They would travel to school alone, buy food alone, and even make visits to stranger's residences alone. The term "Hochigo"/(Left Alone Child) is common in Japanese society as a result as a result of the freedom their children are granted.

Not condoning or condemning Japanese society, but it highlights a very interesting concept in context to our stories, especially authors who have written on the subject like @Bill W. A lot of LGBT members and authors have childhood traumas and histories of abuse and neglect. However, different societies have different standards between neglect and freedom. The freedom though is created at the expense of human connection and empathy, not something you want a generation of your society to embody.

Wonder if any other authors ever considered the nature of child neglect in their stories across cultures?