Youth Witnessing Ipv Essay

Upon entering school, youth are expected to have gained a skill set related to their developmental stage that will allow them to succeed in this new environment. For youth witnessing IPV, these skills are not there. Homes where IPV is occurring, there are a decreased amount of stimulation from learning activities such as toys, games, and books for the children. (Huth). There is usually a decrease in parental interactions with the child, this can be due to the parent’s injuries, or low self-esteem, which would contribute to the neglect of the youth (Edelson). There is also a greater risk for the parent to have substance abuse issues or be suffering from mental illness, specifically depression (Edelson). Youth witnessing IPV the school environment can be overwhelming and frightening and are unprepared for the learning style that is expected in the
classroom.
Schools are based on cognitive learning, meaning that youth need skills that allow them to process, comprehend, relate and retain information taught.
For the youth witnessing IPV, these skills are a contradiction to the skills that have been learned at home. Youth witnessing IPV has difficulty concentrating making paying attention in class challenging (Osofsky, 1995). They may be dealing with intruding thoughts that contribute to the lack of concentration (Osofsky, 1995). These distractions will give way for the youth to find ways to avoid completing daily work putting them further behind their peers (McGill). These behaviours are also symptoms of post-traumatic stress as seen in youth witnessing IPV, which further impedes their success in school (McGill). The parental neglect can also contribute to the lack of concentration of the youth through multiple absences, late or extreme early drop-off or pick-up, or the youth being tired and sleeping in class (Howell). These behaviours make the youth more self-aware of the differences between themselves and their peers, increasing the anxiety and decreasing self-image
(Cooks). The ability to understand what is being taught in the classroom is further impeded due to the increased anxiety that the youth witnessing IPV experiences (Osofsky, 1995). This can decrease the motivation of the youth, which causes further withdrawal from peers (Osofsky, 1995). With the limited positive stimulation and experiences they youth witnessing IPV has prior to entering school, they are less likely to try new things and explore free play (McGill). The language development is impeded by the lack of early learning, this affects the understanding of classroom material (Huth). This causes the youth to score lower in reading and verbal expression, which will affect all subjects that are language based (Huth). Having lower results in the standardised testing also has negative implications long term for the students as they attempt to move towards post-secondary education (Howell). As youth become more self-aware of their limitations there is a potential for further withdrawal and motivation (Osofsky). Relating to what happens in school either during the structured or non-structured time is difficult for the youth witnessing IPV. When youth are not exposed to consistency or things being predictable then relating to the structure and expectations of school becomes a challenge (Craig). Youth have learned strategies that keep them safe at home, at school, they have to learn if this environment is safe and they can trust the adults (Ofosky 1995). The lack of understanding of what is expected from youth in order to succeed puts further stress on youth contributing to the anxiety felt (Craig). What is know and normal for youth is not the same at school for their peers, understanding of the societal norms on violence also challenges how they relate to school. Inferencing is lower in youth witnessing IPV, this uses past experiences to determine what is being taught (Craig).