Why Is Childhood Years Important

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.

There are significant signs of psychological trauma due to any kind of abuse. Children experience feelings of low self esteem and depression. Many exhibit behavioral problems including aggression towards other children. Other emotional problems include hostility, fear, humiliation and the inability to express feelings. The social impacts of physical abuse include inability to form relationships, poor social skills, poor cognitive language skills, distrust of others, over-compliance with authority figures, and tendency to solve interpersonal problems with aggression. (2008, p. 1). Verbal and physical abuse has a cumulative impact on children’s socialization. Abused children are caught in damaged relationships and are not socialized in positive, supportive way (Craig & Dunn, Ex.: 2010, p. 196). They learn defiance, manipulation and other problem behaviors that are used to escape any maltreatment. In turn they will learn to exploit, degrade and terrorize.

Abuse is an experience that sticks with children forever; with high emotions and fears clogging their mind they have no room to think about other important factors such as schoolwork. Brain development is especially important in the younger years, and when a child is abused this interrupts the development for this student. This brain development trauma leads into the classroom in different areas of a child’s life such as cognitive functioning, interpersonal skills with others, and their overall academic performance (Finkelhor, 2008). One cannot simply expect a child who was an abused to not have any form of cognitive problems.

As physical abuse resulting in brain damage often has ramifications for psychological development (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013). Problems with psychological development can surface as high-risk behaviours. The adverse outcomes of abuse vary depending on exposure and experience of individuals, not every child is affected in the same way (CFCA, 2014). However, experiencing physical abuse between the ages of 0 to 12 impacts on their quality of life as an adult (Blue knot foundation, 2017). This paper deals with children who have suffered physical abuse between the ages 0 to 12. Focusing on effects for behavioural development at hallmarks, including; infancy, toddler age, preschool, primary school and

Trauma exposure in childhood links with forms of psychotherapy (McLaughlin & Lambert, 2017). When children experience exposure to a traumatic event during childhood, it alters their affective and neurobiological development, to improving their ability to identify possible threats in the environment and amplifyies emotional responses to those threats (McLaughlin & Lambert, 2017). Traumatic events during childhood can negatively impact academic and social development through various pathways, including brain development (Layne et al.,

Adverse childhood experiences are perhaps terrible and upsetting occasions which can have negative, lasting impacts for health and well-being. These experiences range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental separation or the imprisoning of a guardian (Vanessa Sacks et al. 2014). It is important to know the connection between childhood experiences and wellbeing in adulthood in the area of study based on psychology. The adversity of someone’s childhood experiences will strongly influence towards the adulthood, it might cause the negative and worse effect to a person’s future. This essay aims to rhetorically evaluate the credibility of three different sources which focus on the research question, how do the adversity of the childhood

Childhood is a very fragile period in an individual’s life. When a child is exposed to maltreatment, it has been show that maltreatment has been linked as a large risk factor for both depression and anxiety (Herringa, et al, 2013). One way individuals have

Childhood trauma is a powerful risk factor for developing depression in adulthood, particularly in reaction to additional stress. Epidemiological studies have provided strong evidence that adverse experience during childhood, such as abuse, neglect or loss, is associated with dramatic increases in the risk to develop depression (Heim, Miller, Mletzko, Nemerof, & Newport, 2008). However, trauma is not the only factor that can cause depression during the developmental stages of an individual. Genetic predisposition can also play a role in the development of depression and other mental health diagnoses. The more adverse experiences children are expose to through development the higher the chances are of developing lasting negatives effects. Researchers found that children with two or more adverse experiences were more than 2.5-times more likely to repeat a grade in school as well as be disengaged in school, compared to those without any traumatic experiences, and after adjusting for confounding factors such as race, income and health status

Maltreated children are at increased risk for suffering from psychological disorders throughout their lifespan (CDC, 2014; Draper, Pfaff, Snowdon, & Lautenschlager, 2008; Fitzpatrick, Carr, Dooley, Flanagan-Howard,

Recent research has shown that childhood trauma can have a dramatic impact on the child’s mental health and lead to neuropsychological damage (Boyda&McFeeters, 2015). One of the most worrying issues today is the aetiology of mental disorders. More than determining causes, it is sought increasingly to find which factors are associated and can be seen as predictive factors of vulnerability of the individual (Kramer , 2015). The reasons for this concern can be from many such as: the growing concern with health prevention and the search for more effective strategies to promote it.

Adults who suffer from social development issues stemming from childhood trauma are risk due to their inability to establish healthy relationships, convey feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a healthy manner, and they can lack the ability of self motivation and self growth. This population is vulnerable to others and can easily be manipulated due to their social development issues. For instance, a individual who has witnessed their father beat their mother as a child with no member of the family intervention or disapproval may normalize the behavior. As a result the child may grow up to enter a relationship where they are an aggressor in a relationship. The reason this could happen is because they normalized this traumatic experience from their

An investigation reports that on short term basis, the victims feel sad, afraid, anxious, and lonely. However, a Finnish study published in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry (http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/behavior/art2733.html) investigated 5038 children born in the year 1981, aged 8-24 years and used parents, teachers and child questionnaires to determine who were frequently bullies, victims or both. They evaluated the children’s mental health at the children’s age of 8 years and referred to records of psychiatric medications and hospital treatment between ages 13-19 to determine whether their mental health had any transitions.

A child abuse survivor possesses a higher risk of forming symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as reoccurring thoughts and fear of authority figures such as teachers or parents (Kim, Trickett, & Putnam, 2011), as a result this maladaptive behavior could lead to a decline of academic performance later in a child’s high school/college career. Child abuse for the purposes of this study is defined as bodily or mental maltreatment of a person under the age of

Toxic stress plays a damaging role for children. If there is no one to alleviate this stress, it can be damaging to the children. Ziba Kashef describes that sympathetic nervous system triggers a fight-or-flight response when children are in stress. This toxic stress requires caregivers to relieve it. If it is not relieved, areas of the brain, such as those that involve learning, decision-making can not be completely developed, while stress responses can be too active and too developed. Areas of the brain that involve emotion may be underdeveloped. Adverse childhood experiences causes toxic stress. Furthermore, Kashef describes that children that experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences are more likely to have depression, commit suicide, or become an alcoholic. Kashef explains that factors such as gang activity and violence cause children to feel unsafe. The children remember these experiences, which causes influence them when they grow older. A way to prevent childhood adversity from happening, especially in orphanages, is by establishing nurturing relationships between children. If

Childhood is best defined as a transitional period when a child learns the social and behavioral aspects of life as well as his or her own beliefs. As stated in Journal of Marriage and Family, the relationship between adults and children is arguably the most impactful aspect of childhood. The way in which a parent raises their child will affect the type of person they become in the future. Learning to be a sociable person will help children one make friends and partnerships in the future. Having good behavior will help maintain these relationships, and being confident and knowledgeable about your own beliefs will make you a respectable person. The best way for children to familiarize themselves with these traits is through lessons,