Consequences of Stress on Child Development

         
                                                            



        One stressor, that I feel is a common stressor for not only adults but children as well is violence and abuse. Violence and abuse comes in so many different forms. It can range from verbal and emotional abuse to physical abuse and even murder/death. I feel that violence and abuse is such a common stress in households, neighborhoods  and schools all over the world. There has been plenty of times where the children within the center I work in come to me and tell me that "mommy and daddy were fighting" or "the police came to my house and I was afraid". Its heart wrenching, not only because these children have to be exposed to these things, but also beause growing up around violent environments will eventually play a toll on a growing child, mentally, emotionally and socially. 

         Growing up, I had my far share of  exposure to violence and abuse within the household. However, I fortunately knew wrong was wrong. In many ways I just overlooked things, making it quite normal. Now in my adulthood, I can say I have never been into a fight, never been agressive or abusive. HOWEVER I know that growing up in  such an environment has put me at a place where I become extremely stressed if I do have to encounter serious conflict (verbal, mental, emotional). On a more positive note, it caused me to become extremely protective of myself, especially within relationships. I am very aware of the things I will allow and now allow based on the maltreatment I had been exposed to growing up. I recently had a conversation with a friend, who experienced physical, mental and emotional abuse as a child. She shared that it caused her to be very despressed, stressed, never wanting to leave her room and always very mean and angry.  Once she had the chance to get away from home she felt free.
     
         I could go on and on about the different experiences shared with me about abuse and violence.  Violence can cause pyschological, emotional, cognitive and long term affects for children. Resulting in emotions and behaviors such as  fear, issues with  self-esteem, depression, relationships problems, anger, poor school  and work performance and the lack of resolving conflict.

                                               

     While researching violence in difference regions I came across abuse in sub-sahran Africa. One thing that i found that caught my attention was a paragraph that stated  "Violence against women is a widespread problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys conducted in sub-Saharan Africa reveal that 46 percent of Ugandan women, 60 percent of Tanzanian women, 42 percent of Kenyan women, and 40 percent of Zambian women report regular physical abuse. In a Nigerian survey, 81 percent of married women report being verbally or physically abused by their husbands. Forty-six percent report being abused in the presence of their children" (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/457?task=view). Fortunately there are advocacates that are trying to help prevent abuse in Africa and fight for women in children that commonly deal with sexual abuse.