I've noticed that even suggesting it in conversations online. It's not just young children who are scared of the dark.

I'm not sure if it can be used to help solve the problem, but I've seen that when places try reduced lighting, the people who live there love the result long-term and do not want to go back. I have family in Sedona, which places strong limits on almost all fixed outdoor lighting, and Boulder, which has removed street lighting in many areas, and those rules are overwhelmingly popular.