Consequences of Stress on Child Development

All children deserve to grow up in an environment that is rich in love, culture, education, and experience.  They should be safe, nurtured, cherished, stimulated cognitively, and be free of stress and the burdens that adults have.  Childhood should be a time of discovery and happiness, joy and wonder, excitement and achievement.  Unfortunately, almost all children face some sort of stress throughout their childhood, whether it is parental divorce, moving to another location, disease or trauma, loss of a loved one, poverty, racism, or abuse.  All of these stressors can be devastating for a child and can impact them throughout their life.  As I reflect on my own childhood, I feel very blessed to have a fairly ideal upbringing - with parents who loved me, a good family support system, excellent educational opportunities, and in a geographical location that assured me freedom to enjoy a stress-free childhood.  My husband grew up in a less ideal family.  He was raised by hard-working parents who loved him, but they also had the stress of raising a very large family with very little money.  My husband remembers eating beans and beats frequently because that was the only food his parents could provide at times.  They often went without Christmas presents, treats and the desired things in life, but my in-laws loved their children, and taught them very high values, morals, and how to work hard.  My husband's family ended up moving several times throughout his childhood to look for better financial opportunities and work for his parents.  In regards to having the monetary necessities and stability, my husband's childhood would seem much less "ideal" than mine.  However, he remembers it as being happy and positive because he knew his parents loved him and they taught him to work hard and value everything they had.  My husband's sister grew up in the same physical environment as he did, however, she became the victim of  sexual abuse as a young teenager, which drastically effected her self-esteem and the course of her entire life.  She never told anyone about the abuse until this year, when her son also experienced sexual abuse and she advocated for immediate psychological treatment for him.  She never got the treatment she needed in her childhood and this has caused her much mental & emotional stress throughout her life.  Her son is in treatment, and is doing very well.  My sister-in-law, however, faced some very difficult challenges throughout her life because of the abuse.  She married an abusive husband, has not been able to hold a steady job for longer than a few months, and is plagued by emotional and mental handicaps.  Her children are also facing a long road of recovery from their father abusing their mother and verbally abusing them.  It is a devastating cycle that could have been stopped early on if she had told someone about the abuse and got the treatment that she needed to help her cope and overcome the abuse.  We are now trying to rally around her and her children, and get them the help they need.  

The World Health Organization states that child abuse and maltreatment is a global problem, but it is hard to estimate the prevalence of abuse because many children (and adults who witness or suspect) do not report the abuse.  It is estimated that approximately 31,000 annual homicide deaths of children under 15 are due to abuse or maltreatment of children, though WHO says this underestimates the actual number because many deaths of children are incorrectly attributed to falls, burns, drowning and other causes (when they are probably abuse/maltreatment cases that cannot be proven).  In the United States, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 905,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2006.  The seriousness of this issue cannot be fully comprehended or measured.  "While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations" (U.S. Dept. of Health, 2012).  

The World Health Organization says child abuse/maltreatment causes stress that is associated with disruption in early brain development.  "Extreme stress can impair the development of the nervous and immune systems.  Consequently, as adults, maltreated children are at increased risk for behavioral, physical and mental health problem" (WHO, 2012).  My sister-in-law has suffered with mental health problems, learning disorders, and depression since adolescence and requires medication to help her cope and deal with her difficult daily life.  She has incredibly low self-esteem, which impacts her ability to hold a job and think positively about her life.  Although our family is very saddened at how her abuse has effected her life, we are very proud of how determined she is at helping her son face the same issue.  She has become an amazing advocate for him and her experience is helping him to get the help he needs to cope and overcome his abuse.

What is being done to help children and what can we do better?  Governments and organizations globally are trying to provide better preventative support and education to those parents and children in high-risk categories for abuse (poverty, high-stress, substance abuse, cultural norms/beliefs of child-rearing using corporate punishment).  New parents are getting education, as early as before leaving the hospital with a newborn, on how to deal with parental stress and coping with crying infants.  Children are being taught how to recognize sexual abuse and to disclose it to a trusted adult, and more adults are learning how to recognize signs of abuse and report it.  Global organizations, like the World Health Organization, are advocating international support for and investment in evidence-based child maltreatment prevention and are providing technical and financial support for prevention programs in low and middle income countries.  The awareness and advocacy of child abuse prevention and treatment must spread, and as an early childhood educator, I commit to do my part.

Resource Links:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs150/en/index.html