STRESS AND ITS EFFECT ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Before I go into details of the stressor in the life of a friend I witnessed, I would briefly discussed Violence as a stressor that affects child development. I will also be discussing it from a point of view of a child witnessing violence and not necessary being the direct victim; this is because the person I intend sharing her story had that kind of experience.

The Effects of Violence on Young Children

Violent children usually come from violent homes, where parents model violence as a means of resolving conflict and handling stress (Page et al., 1992). Even if children are not abused physically themselves, they can suffer psychological trauma, including lack of bonding, from witnessing battering. As Lerner (1992) points out, attachment or bonding has far-reaching implications not only for the emotional well-being of a child, but also for a child's cognitive development and the child's ability to cope effectively with stress and to develop healthy relationships. Children who witness violence can display an array of emotional and behavioral disturbances, including low self-esteem, withdrawal, nightmares, self-blame, and aggression against peers, family members, and property (Peled, Jaffe, & Edleson, 1995).
 Research also shows that chronic exposure to violence adversely affects a child's ability to learn (Shore, 1997; Prothrow-Stith & Quaday, 1995; Kurtz, Gaudin, & Wodarski, 1994; Lorion & Saltzman, 1993). Learning itself is an essential tool for violence prevention (Prothrow-Stith & Quaday, 1995). Children who achieve in school and develop important reading, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills are better able to cope with stressful and perhaps dangerous situations. Also, academic achievement enhances the development of positive self-esteem and self-efficacy, both of which are necessary for children to experience emotional well-being and to achieve success. The relationship between violence and learning is particularly significant because cognitive skills are crucial in terms of academic success, self-esteem, coping skills, and overall resilience. As Prothrow-Stith and Quaday (1995) assert: "When our children's ability to learn is being dangerously undermined, the foundation of our society is being damaged in a manner that cannot be easily repaired" (p. 27). Interventions must begin early in order to help children develop higher-order thinking skills, empathy, impulse control, anger management, peaceful conflict resolution, and assertive communication.

What Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers Can Do

Children learn from what they see. To prevent violence, parents and teachers need to model appropriate behaviors in the way they manage problems, conflict, anger, and stress. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers can help children learn to deal with emotions without using violence.

In Conclusion, as Pransky (1991) explains, "Our behavior is shaped by conditions in our environment, particularly as we grow. This is the essential piece to the puzzle. The way our children are treated within their important environments will largely determine the shape they will be in and how they will behave" (p. 7). All children deserve the opportunity to "fly" and reach their highest potential--we must not allow them to become "hidden casualties."

My Experience

Growing up as a child, I had a brief interaction with someone who experienced violence at home. I knew her during by Arabic classes. The violence was not directly on her as a child but her mother by her father, He was a man with financial issues and verge all his frustration on the mother. We noticed that she was going though, because she was always quiet. He constantly beats her mother on the slightest argument and she always witness it since she was an only child ,she said she felt the need to protect he mother even though she was little but could not. I and some of her friends tried to involve a Muslim cleric but before he could intervene meaningfully, she lost her mother while trying to have another baby. Her mother was the only support she had, her mother parents had lost contact with their daughter years after her marriage, so she continued to leave with her father but was afraid he could transfer the aggression on her. She could not continue with her formal Education due to poor performance .The cleric eventually helped her find her mother’s parents and they took her away from the father. It took her sometime to get comfortable with her grandparents. She blamed them for abandoning the mother, but later realizes it was not their fault. Living with her grandparents gave her a chance to live a normal life. I believe if she had more support system, it would have helped her as well as her mother

WAR IN SOMALIA-IMPLICATIONS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EFFORT MADE TO MINIMIZE ITS EFFECT

Everyday thousands of Somali children are caught up in conflict, suicide bombs, destruction and displacement. Some of them not only merely as bystanders, but as targets also. Others fall victim to general onslaught and made to watch the slaying of their own families or of other civilians (Dini; 2005:pp23). Many others are psychologically traumatized after witnessing death and destruction while yet others suffer the effects of sexual violence or the multiple deprivations of armed conflict that expose them to hunger, displacement or disease. Many children have become orphans or lost entire families and thousands of young people are exploited as combatants by the Al-Shabaab militia group (idem). Multiple attempts to solve Somalia’s conflict have not been successful because solutions have often been short-sighted, not gender-sensitive and the role of women and youth have been overlooked and efforts to integrate lives and livelihoods into interventions underestimated.

Although government efforts are critical in addressing post-conflict reconstruction in Somalia, they are not sufficient in dealing with the challenges at hand. The nature and scope of the challenges in Somalia requires the full mobilization of all talents and resources that all stakeholders, including those that children have. (Koshin.S, 2012)

 One effort to minimize its effect is a project initiative- The Happiness Project. This project argues that for any post-conflict reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation to make significant impact in Somalia, it must take into account the different needs of the various groups in Somali society through a child-friendly lens. Such gender-sensitive programs must be the eyes of the innocent and the voice of the voiceless. Even in war children must remain children and. Play is important for the development of children and for healing. Playgrounds and child-friendly centers in post-conflict countries can provide happiness as a healing therapy to these traumatized children. The social skills that children develop on playgrounds become lifelong skills that could be carried forward into their adulthood. Independent research shows that playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home. Most forms of play are essential for healthy development, but free, spontaneous play—the kind that occurs on playgrounds—is the most beneficial type of play. (Koshin. S, 2012)

 The Happiness Project: Happy Parks for Somali Children in Somalia

"Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth." - Kenneth Ginsburg

Research on existing theories reveals that there is a direct relationship between playground activities and the promotion of children’s self-esteem. Also personal development may be gained through the enhancement of skills, such as playing, communicating and cooperating with other children and adults in the playground. (Koshin. S, 2012)

 It takes a lifetime to make big changes, but it takes a split second and a compassionate individual to bring a smile to a child's face. Whatever the change will be, change doesn't happen on its own; people change things. The lack of children's play grounds in combination with the absence of any child-friendly spaces such as zebra crossings, creative corners, play grounds, happy parks, amusement parks, is contributing to the absence of HAPPINESS in Somalia. The goal of this project is to build a happy park, a play ground in Somalia where Somali children can play happily and safely and be just children. This project wants to mobilize resources for building a happy park for Somali children in war-torn Somalia. The environment in Somalia is such that there are huge and sharp stones everywhere and it is extremely windy as well as very hot. There are hardly any children playing safely outside. Many children are kept indoors for fear of the dangerous sharp stones laying everywhere, the extreme heat, or even the dangerous mines and other explosives. But children should be playing outside. Children shouldn't be kept indoors. Full of energy and life, children should be encouraged to play, draw, take up sports and be creative.(Koshin.S, 2012)

 References

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content5/early.child.violence.html

http://www.worldpulse.com/node/48676

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