As soon as a baby is born it begins to take in sensory experiences from the environment in which it is put in. Its environment will also have a powerful influence on its behaviour as it grows up. Experiences through environment are as important as genetics, as they also can have an influence on a person’s psychological development. Genetics decides how the brain is pre-wired but experience through environment will shape how the brain grows and develops. I will focus on the home environment in this essay and I will discuss the negative effects this environment may have on the child and how it shapes him/her psychologically. I will first talk about how children can be affected psychologically when exposed to an environment of domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict. I will then discuss the negative impact that divorce and the changing of family structure may have on the psychological development of the child, if the child is exposed to it in his/her environment.
Domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict:
Domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict, even if it is not directed at the child, can have a huge effect on the psychological development of the child. Both these matters are of significant concern in society today (Harold & Howarth, 2004). Research tells us that children who witness domestic abuse between their parents/guardians or any adult figures in their life are susceptible to the same psychological trauma, in terms of development, as children who receive direct physical abuse and maltreatment from their parents. The majority of this research concerns children who live in an abusive and dangerous (both physical and psychological) environment, i.e. the child’s home (Holden et al., 1998). The research conducted by Harol...
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...nd also his/her social skills.
In conclusion, certain environments can have a negative impact on children’s subsequent psychological development. In this essay I discussed how an environment of domestic violence and inter-parental conflict and an environment of divorce or separation and the changing of the family structure can negatively affect the child’s psychological development and behaviour. Domestic abuse and inter-parental conflict, even if it is not directed at the child, have the ability of making the child become more susceptible to the same psychological trauma, in terms of development, as children who receive direct physical abuse and maltreatment from their parents. An environment where the child is exposed to conflict and aggressive behaviour from their parents or “models” can also have significant negative impacts on their psychological development.
Environment says a lot about identity, past, and future. Primary environment has the most effect on shaping a child. According to a US National Library of Medicine research study, ”The physical environment and child development: An international review” it says, “What we do know suggests that the physical environment experienced by children impacts their cognitive and socioemotional development across the lifespan, from the prenatal period through adulthood.” In children this is especially important because a child develops most between the ages of two and five. There are three key elements that contribute to a healthy physical for young children, an adequate standard of living (mainly sufficient food, clothing, and housing), healthcare, and safety from injury, violence, and environmental hazards. In The Other Wes Moore, Wes(a) had
Both authors provide a inspiring job of giving an explanation as to why ‘The interaction of biological variables with environment variables results in pro-social or antisocial outcomes.’ (Karr-Morse. Wiley, 1999) There are various examples of this interaction in every chaper of the book relating in very different scenarios. This then makes the reader quickly take that this is the important essential that needs to be made that ‘children will reflect what they have taken biologically and socially.’ Karr-Morse. Wiley, 1998) This book does an amazing job of assessing an amount of issues which are related to child abuse and neglect which include for example drugs being used whilst the child is in the womb, the relationship between the child and parent; whether there is enough interaction, any influence of an primary
According to the book, Children Who See Too Much, frequent exposure to violence changes the structure of the developing brain. And, it also leaves marks on the chemistry of a young child’s brain (Groves, 37). The children begin to be afraid of their environment because they see their world as unpredictable and dangerous. Hence, them become very aware of their environment, they become guarded waiting for the next dangerous thing that might happen (Groves, 46) Seeing violence at home also affects the child in school. Because their fight or flight system is always running, it begins to interfere with the ability to do learning tasks in school. “They do not complete assignments. They may be highly active and restless.” (Groves, 47) “It affects their emotional development their social functioning, their ability to learn and focus in school, their moral development, and their ability to negotiate in intimate relationships as adolescents and adults.” (Groves, 57). Children are also at risk for both internalizing factors such as anxiety, depression, and self-blame. They are also susceptible to externalizing factors such as aggression and delinquency behaviors. Witnessing or hearing abuse can also affect children in the long run. If they witness long term abuse, it can become “a form of modeling for present and future behavior” according to the Handbook of Domestic Violence Intervention Strategies by Albert
This paper will explore those effects and how it affects children. Exposure to violence in the first years of life brings about helplessness and terror, which can be attributed to the lack of protection received by the parent. The child can no longer trust their parent as a protector (Lieberman 2007). This lack of trust early in life can bring about serious problems later in life, as there is no resolution to the first psychosocial crisis, trust vs. mistrust. For these children exposed to domestic violence, the imaginary monsters that children perceive are not only symbolic representations or a dream.
“Although experience may affect human brain structure and function throughout the entire life span, evidence…..suggests that early experience may be particularly critical” (Rao et al., 2010). During the childhood years, adequate nurturance by parents has a large impact on optimal biological and psychological development. This includes neurological, social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Rao et al. (2010) broadly define nurturance as including “warmth, affection, and acceptance” (p. 1145). Like nurturance, many researchers have looked at the importance of similar issues such as attention, attachment, and bonding. Conversely, issues such as stressful environments and unstable relationships have been shown to have negative consequences on childhood development. The importance of this early childhood nurturance is evident in the story of Michel Oher as described in the movie The Blind Side. Due to his neglectful upbringing, Michael has many academic deficits including language problems as well as having limited social and stress management skills. However, when taken in by the Tuohy family Michael begins to thrive and flourish due to the encouraging attention he receives and the positive environment in which he now lives. Although Michael’s case is atypical, not every impoverished child gets a second chance, it does illustrate the effects that improper, and later adequate, nurturance has on a child and his or her development.
Alarmingly, all four articles described domestic violence, family violence, violence, or abuse as a common theme in childhood experience which is found
“Rodgers, K. ‘Wife assault: the findings of a national survey” Children who live in a home where domestic violence takes place will face many challenges that could last throughout their whole lives. Studies have shown that a third of all children who see their mothers being hurt develop emotional problems, and boys who see their fathers beating their mothers are ten times more likely to be abusers in their future relationships. “Clarkprosecutor.org domestic violence in families” Children also living in these homes are more likely to experience aggression and antisocial behaviors as well as depression.... ... middle of paper ...
An occurrence of violence is typically companied with controlling and emotionally abusive behavior which makes up a small amount of the pattern that is part of the dominance and control of the partner inflicting the abuse. Some effects of intimate partner violence include physical injury, trauma psychologically, and even death in extreme cases. The occurrence of domestic violence can go one for someone’s entire life and it can even be passed down to future generations. This happens when the abuse is not reported or dealt with and the children begin to see it on a regular basis making it something that they know as a second nature thing that happens. In occurrences of domestic violence, violence is not equal which means that even if victim their abuser back or initiates more violence to diffuse a situation, the violence is not the same. Whenever abuse occurs there is always one person who is the “primary, constant, source of power, control, and abuse in the relationship” (NCADV,
Lundy, M., & Grossman, S. F. (2005). The mental health and service needs of young children exposed to domestic violence: Supportive data. Families in Society, 86(1), 17-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230168631?accountid=10825
Throughout the course of one’s lifetime, there are countless events that shape the personality, actions and mentality of that individual. Some of these events will affect the individual in a positive way allowing great life opportunities, while other events will unfortunately affect the individual in a negative way which can lead to disorders. Among the various events that can affect a person, one of the most common occurrences that some children witness early on in their lives that deeply affect their long-term mental health is being a witness to domestic violence. Research and observations that were studied revealed that there are multiple factors that can contribute to a child witnessing domestic violence. The more categories that the child falls into, the more likely they are to develop mental health issues later on in their life (Meltzer, Doos, Vostanis, Ford, and Goodman, 2009). The research conducted by Meltzer et al. (2009), was used to study the factors that were intertwined with domestic violence, as well as to better understand the needs of children who have witnessed the violence at a young age.
How does domestic violence between parents and parental figures affect the children who witness it? This is a question often asked by Sociologists and Psychologists alike. There have been studies that prove that children who witness domestic inter-parental violence experience mental health problems, issues with gender roles, substance abuse, the committing of crimes and suicide/suicide attempts later in their lives. This paper will explore all five of these 'effects' of domestic violence on children and show that there is evidence of a clear relationship in which increasing parental violence is associated with increasing outcome risks (Fergusson & Horwood, 1998, p.8).
Some of the behavioral problems children of family violence suffer from are aggression, withdrawal, and frustration. Children of family violence are often more violent than other children (Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing). Some stress management techniques that children learn are bursts of anger. Violence is learned as an efficient way to solve problems. They often model their parent's conflict resolution techniques. These children are often withdrawn and internalize their emotions. Most of these children are isolated from their peers. Frequent change of residence could be a cause of children's isolation from peers (Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing). Children of family violence are often frustrated because they can not deal with their problems. Often, their education is disrupted by family violence and they start having problems concentrating at school and with truancy. Most are underachievers as a result of low self-esteem which leads to low participation in class or other school activities (Children's Services Plan).
As children, we depend greatly on our parents to satisfy our basic needs, for guidance, nurturance and for help in shaping our emotions, behaviors and relationships. For children, the family is a highly valued context for understanding and interpreting their development as individuals. As Bjorklund and Pelligrini (2001) have asserted, we are a “slow-developing, big-brained species”, the relatively large size of our brains demands a prolonged period of immaturity, therefore requiring a great deal of support and nurturance from parents (DeLoache, J., Eisenberg, N., Siegler, R. 2011). However, an adaptive consequence to this extended immaturity is our high level of neural plasticity and our ability to learn from experience. Growing up in a stable environment can undoubtedly reap successful development for children on many levels, just as living in an unstable environment will certainly allow for undesirable consequences. Despite great individual differences, research from psychologists such as Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freud, among others allows us to organize and understand the affects of long lasting parental conflict on child development and family. Research has allowed a strong shot at understanding child development, allowing parental conflict to be observed and connected with the development of children across many aspects. It is largely the differences between socioeconomic status, culture, race, gender and level of conflict, support and resiliency, which directly affect children and other relatives over time.
There are many different aspects of environment that can affect the development of children. One major environmental impact that influences the development of a child is the neighborhood they are raised in. Within the neighborhood there are several other aspect of influence. Where a child is raised can affect their behavior, attitudes, emotions, personality, values, health, and so much more. This can be seen in their personal lives at home to their social lives around others in classrooms. The affects of a child’s development due to their environment can be seen in both a positive and negative aspect. The neighborhood that a child is raised in can be very critical in their development. It may have a significant effect on what he or she becomes in the future.
After multiple days of research, I have concluded that the environment in which a child is normally in, can play a major role in every aspect of his life. Everything aspect from home life, school life, and child care can affect the child’s cognitive, learning, language, emotional, social, and physical development. I believe that the environment in which a child is placed should not be looked over lightly, but a child should be placed in safe environments where he/she will receive proper learning, play, and nutritional