Child Development

Child Development and the Environment Many key factors contribute to and determine the development of a child, be it positive or negative. However, in my opinion the most influential factor is the environment; it has the potential to enhance or interrupt both their early years and later development. In her poem, Dr. Dorothy Law speaks about the link between the environment and a child’s development. When I read this poem for one point really stood out at me which was ‘if children live with hostility, they learn to fight.’ The first thought that came to mind was children that are exposed to domestic violence. Living within an environment full of hostility, many children become vulnerable; they suffer from low self-confidence and esteem.
‘Children who witness violence are at a greater risk for developing anti social behaviours which in turn can lead to suicide or suicide attempts later in life ’since they feel useless and unworthy. So to them, suicide becomes a way out of the horrific situations that they must endure.
Most children who grow up within a hostile environment learn from an early age to be prepared for anything. They learn to protect themselves and tend to become extremely aggressive and have violent outbursts. This is because they don't have a safe outlet for releasing their emotions. If they show emotion at home, they could suffer repercussions like being hit or punched. ‘Bullying and domestic violence are cyclical – those children who witness domestic violence are at a much higher risk of becoming both bullies and victims of bullying.’
This is what happened to a very close friend of mine.
She grew up in a hostile environment with an authoritarian care giver. She always felt smothered by this constant control over her and needed a place to vent her emotions, so she turned to bullying during elementary school. It all began when one girl made fun of her in class. One day my friend put her hand up to answer a question and when she got it wrong, she heard one of our classmate snigger and make fun of her. She had embarrassed her in front of the whole class which made my friend furious. To defend herself, my friend called her a ‘ginger minger’ since our class mate had orange hair and freckles. Everyone started laughing and joined in shouting ‘ginger minger’ at her. The girl started crying and my friend got sent out of the class. Seeing her cry like that made my friend feel
good
And powerful since she was lacking this at home.
From that day on, my friend never stopped bullying that girl. She would call her names, push her around and eventually she was able to get her cell phone number. My friend began making threatening calls to the girl
At school one morning, my friend got called to see the Headmistress. She told her that the girl she was bullying was in hospital because she'd drank some bleach. She said she'd done it because she wanted to get away from the bullying. My friend was devastated by the news and it was at this point that she began counselling. She never turned to bullying again and found healthier ways to express her fear and anger. Luckily, the girl who was bullied didn’t suffer any serious injuries. Living in an abusive situation, you are surrounded by fear and uncertainty which can be paralyzing both physically and emotionally. Domestic violence not only deprives children of the joys of childhood but it can disrupt their sense of safety and security whilst threatening their well-being, development and social adjustment. ‘Chronic traumatic exposure may lead to persistent changes in the brain structure and chemistry. Current research suggests that these biological alterations contribute to long term physical, emotional, behavioural, developmental socially and cognitive dysfunction seen in adults who have experienced childhood
maltreatment.’ Another friend of mine suffered from a violent father whom she was frightened of. He was physically and verbally violent with her mother and her sisters, and they all suffered emotionally because of his behaviour. She was always worried that one day her father would kill her mother or sisters. She recalls being especially anxious at meal times which was about the only time when they all sat down together. Who would he start on? What would happen? Who would get hurt? What could she do to distract him? What could he do to escape? All of these questions were racing through her mind. Like any little kid in that environment, she just lived from moment to moment; hoping her Dad wouldn’t come home after work, hoping he would die – or at least hoping the violent part of him would die. The violence, fear and anxiety were part of their life. It has taken her a long time to really understand the devastating effect it can have to grow up in fear, in a confusion of violence, love, anxiety and fear. Unfortunately, many of those children who have been exposed to fear will never truly get rid of it. Fear will be with them all the time and may even prevent them from feeling really happy, whenever they start to feel happy they find themselves feeling afraid or even thinking that their happiness is fake and not real. Some people never manage to experience happiness because they are living with fear all the time. Children need stability on all levels that are possible in order for them to reach maturity and be productive and successful adults. Stability in a home will produce children that are confident, reliable, and independent. Stability will give children balance in an unbalanced world.