Effects On Brain Development

A significant element in a child’s life is a relationship with their parent and central to this is the aspect of infant-mother bond (Cook, 1999). Parents play a critical role in modeling the adult lives of their children. A research on early brain development revealed that early intervention of warm and receptive care given to children is critical for their growth. It is vital to encourage and offer optimum care for the young children. The way a child is nurtured is a factor in their early brain development. Positive nurturing care and love towards children in their infanthood up to around 6 years results in a positive brain growth (Tribble, 2012). With both parents working, adverse effects on child development may be experienced. Children

Groves, B.M. (1999). Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence. The Future of Children, 9(3), 122-132.

There are a myriad of ways that the environment can influences behaviors and some children are subjected to childhood maltreatment. These youths may develop into adults with serious emotional problems or face various addictions. In an abusive environment, it may subject the abuse survivors struggle with many negative effects that include substance abuse, mental disorders, learning disabilities, impulsivity, promiscuity, anti-social behaviors, and various other complications.

The effects of maltreatment in children can last through adolescence and on through adulthood for many. Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a very popular type of therapy that join the caregiver and the child’s sessions. The basic process of this therapy is educate and improve parenting skills, teach relaxation techniques and skills, introduce cognitive coping skills, allow the child to talk about the narrative and make the child feel comfortable about talking about the trauma and allow the child cognitively process the traumatic events, ensure that the child feels safe. Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). For children who suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome, this treatment can require maintenance for up to 2 years after the child has completed treatment (Deblinger, Steer, & Lippmann,

Original Thesis Statement: Incorporating art-based activities and techniques effectively develops coping skills, self expression, open communication, and begins the healing process for children who have experienced trauma.

However, to understand the impact of adversity on young children’s development and learning, our genes supply the basic blueprint for brain development. “Thus, toxic stress in early childhood not only is a risk factor for later risky behavior but also can be a direct source of biological injury or disruption that may have lifelong consequences independent of whatever circumstances might follow later in life (Shonoff and Garner, 2012, page 238). Poverty, neglect, or family stress can make it especially difficult for young children to develop the self-discipline and habits of mind they will need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Researchers have found that chronic, sustained stress, such as that caused by neglect, abuse, or deprivation,

The safety and security of many children across the world are in danger due to physical abuse. Child abuse has been linked to an assortment of changes in the brain which result in psychological, behavioral, and academic problems. While it is unclear whether the population that had been maltreated as children is accurate, physical maltreatment in the first 5 years of life places a child at risk for a variety of psychological and behavioral problems during adolescence. The following three literature reviews attempts to prove and support the premise.

Children exposed to the trauma of domestic violence tend to have problems with behavior, social functioning, and academics when they reach school-age. Schools afford these children access to mental health practitioners, including counselors, psychologists, and social workers, who can address these concerns through counseling, structured activities and play therapy. Research is limited, but findings indicate, not surprisingly, that children do benefit from early interventions. The authors outline

It has been known, for many years, that childhood maltreatment, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, interparental violence, and sexual abuse, has an adverse effect on a developing child. These effects have been thought to be linked to adults later having cognitive deficits and mental disorders when compared to adults with no history of childhood maltreatment (Tomoda, Polcari, Anderson, & Teicher, 2012). It has also been shown that adults who experience childhood maltreatment are more prone to many medical illnesses than their healthy counterparts (Keeshin, Cronholm, & Strawn, 2012). With more recent advances in technology, scientists have been able to research exactly how childhood maltreatment affects development through methods such as MRI, fMRI, and genetic tests (Teicher, Anderson, & Polcari, 2012). Using these findings, scientists have begun to show how childhood maltreatment affects adults later in life. The following literature will support the claim that childhood maltreatment leads to abnormal neurological development which can later have adverse effects on the adult’s mental and physical health.

The goal of this paper is to provide relevant informations that can help individuals understand the how development may differ among those who have experienced childhood maltreatment.

One theory that alleviates symptoms of PTSD is Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). This theory is designed for ages 3-17 (Salloum et al., 2014). TF-CBT aims to incorporate the abuse that they experienced into their worldviews and their own views (Foster & Hagedorn, 2014). Children who have experienced sexual and physical abuse benefit from TF-CBT. Many children who have experienced trauma present at a lower developmental stage than their chronological age (Foster & Hagedorn, 2014). (Foster et al., 2014) Their ability to communicate and process their abuse is directly related to their developmental level, and therefore their age at the time that the abuse occurred and their current

Abuse may affect the ability of children to start relationships due to the lack of trust in other people, especially adults (Barnett et al., 2011). Children who are abused may not inform any adult, such as teachers, doctors, the police, or people of authority as they may view all adults as conniving or deceitful. Child abuse victims may likewise experience emotional problems. For instance, they may not be able to express themselves in healthy ways (Barnett et al., 2011, p.160). Some victims of child abuse may either be so silent owing to fears of rejection or be deviant and aggressive enough to bully other children (Barnett et al., 2011, p.160).

Child therapy differs greatly from adult therapy in a way where in adult therapy, a person is expected to talk about their feelings while the therapist sits there to listen and take notes. With child therapy, there is no way to do that without the child getting bored about sitting still and talking about their feelings. According to child therapist Douglas Green, child therapy should be done in the language of play. Children are more expressive about their feelings and they grow a lot more when they are playing games, with toys, engaging in activities, through drawing, and some other forms of art (Green, 2012). In other words, the child will recover and grow more from the divorce of their parents or the death of their dog or family issues in general if they link up with a therapist and be able to express themselves by engaging in any type of play, than talking about their feelings. By doing this, a therapist will get more feedback from the child instead of forcing them to just sit still and ask them questions. Play therapy, along with other methods specifically designed for child therapy, focuses on the child’s emotional well-being, it serves as a healthy way to express their concerns and feelings, and it helps improve their relationship with those around them especially their families.

Domestic Violence is a problem sweeping the nation. This problem can affect anyone from anywhere but is generally acting out upon children and adult women in abusive relationships. Domestic violence is emotionally and physically scarring for anyone involved, and as a result could take multiple intervention meetings to begin to understand the issue, alleviate the associated problems, and to assist the victim in getting back on his or her feet. The consequences of abuse include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and self-harm. Children may begin to act differently to their usual behavior - withdrawal is very common, as is self-harming (Khan, 2012). There are two ways that people can consider interventions for victims of

To nurture healthy brain development it is important that the child be in a constructive nurturing environment when away from the primary caregiver. This environment should be social, healthy, interactive, and nurturing.