A stressor from my childhood that I want to talk about is racism. I attended a school system in which very few African Americans went to. The ratio from black students to white students was around 1:50, about one per grade level in elementary school. I was very athletic and active, so at recess time I could be found on the basketball court or soccer field. I remember a time in third grade wanting to play soccer and a child approaching me saying, “You can’t play because you are darker than us.” I felt crushed and went crying to my sister. She was just a year older than me so we shared the same recess time. Her protective older sister instincts kicked in and she “handled” that situation. I’ll let you use your imagination and fill in the rest! I told my teacher when we went inside and she talked to the both of us about the situation. Anyways, that was just one of a few instances that I experienced growing up.
In South Africa, there are many stressors for children. Poverty, disease, environmental factors, and hunger are issues that affect children and their growth. The strategies used are described as erosive. This means that it solves the problem now, but in the future it doesn’t because more problems occur. To ensure that enough work is done at home in preparation for meals and warmth, young boys and girls are forced to stay at home. They stay at home and help their parents so the family can be fed, therefore they become uneducated adults in the long run. Mother’s with a deathly disease, such as AIDS, don’t plan for their children’s future. They assume that another member of the family will take care of their children or they will be admitted into an orphanage. In either case, either one doesn't guarantee proper eating habits or education. This is a result of having no access to appropriate support and services. Parents don’t know where or who to turn to when hunger, poverty, or disease becomes too overwhelming. Efforts are being made to make assistance available for families who are in dire need of food, shelter, or medical attention.
Resource
Drimie, S., Cassale, M. 2009. Multiple stressors in Southern Africa: the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty, and children’s vulnerability now and in the future. AIDS Care, 1(21), 28-33.
Hi Arica
ReplyDeleteAs a child I did not experience racism, but I saw so much of it on television and talked about it in conversation. Children are subjected to just as much stress as adults and we must find ways as teachers and parents to help children through the stressors in life. You had a sister that was there to help you through your stress, some children do no have anybody who is there to hear their problems and to help them deal with the stresses of life. Thanks for sharing.