Going through stressors as a child can have lasting effects that may follow them throughout their lives. As a child I did not experience any stressors, but my mother did, when she was around six years old, many US cities began to riot, these riots were the results of racism. Many African American took out their frustration out on their neighborhood corner stores. My mother said that one evening, a large group of men and women got together, and began to break store windows, taking many of the goods and some even set fire to some of the stores. There was a lot of violence in the streets, and the nation guard had to be called in to settle everyone down. As a child, she was very frightened, and did not understand this level of violence. My mother said that her mother talked to her and her sibling and explained to them that, the violence was outside and no one was going to come in the house to hurt them. Although, they felt safe when they were home, as they walked to school they had to walk over all of the glass and debris.
In many parts of Africa children experience several kinds of stressors on a daily basis. A parent with HIV/AIDS is one stressor that a child in Africa may have to deal with. When a parent dies from HIV/AIDS, these children are orphaned, and are placed in orphanages or many live on the streets and they have to raise themselves. (Steel, n.d.) Losing a parent is a huge lost and can hurt a child cognitive development. Many children contract HIV/AIDS from their mother, they sick all of the time so this can affect their development; they won’t go through the stages, properly.
Steel, Erik. (n.d) How Does AIDS Affect Kids in Africa? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5519392_aids-affect-kids-africa.html#ixzz1ko0wx6f
Thank you for sharing. My mother experienced stressors in her life as well but it was indoors- domestic violence and abuse. Just as you mentioned how you mother was frightened and did not understand that level of violence, really shows us again how children are innocent and truly look for safety and love. In the classroom it is important to remember that even though a child is experiencing stressors outside of the classroom and then bringing his confusion into the classroom that all he really needs is more attention and that safety he is seeking for.
ReplyDeleteTake Care.