Hayden Panettiere Says Child Stardom Is 'Tough': 'I Grew Up In The Generation Of The Wild Child'

It seems to be the era of the troubled former child star.

From Lindsay Lohan to Amanda Bynes, actresses who broke into the business at a young age seem to have taken a turn for the worst, heading to jail, getting into trouble with the law and lashing out on Twitter. But despite growing up in "the generation of the wild child," Hayden Panettiere made it out unscathed -- and there's a reason why.

The "Nashville" star, 23, talked about child stardom on the U.K.'s "BBC Breakfast" this morning (June 6), revealing that she could have ended up a lot like Lohan and Bynes if it wasn't for her friends and family.

"I'm no different to anyone else and those same doors were opened to me and they are very easy to walk through," Panettiere admitted, continuing, "Drugs, alcohol, being in inappropriate places where you shouldn't be at a certain age -- it's a very tough position to be in, but I had great people to pull me back from it."

Panettiere, who is dating 37-year-old professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, added that she feels "guilty by association," considering she rose to fame with a certain group of stars.

"Being a young female growing up in this industry is tough. And I grew up in the generation of the wild child -- I was guilty by association. So everyone sits there and waits for you to fall of your horse," she explained. "But as long as you have people who are willing to tell you the truth and are not afraid to tell you the truth, and who are there to yank you back when you need it and give you a reality check -- it makes a world of difference."