The website I’ve been researching throughout this course is Zero to Three. I thought it was particularly relevant to investigate the maltreatment of young children. A few resources this week discussed how toxic stress can lead to other adult problems like heart disease and diabetes. This toxic stress can be caused by abuse, poverty, consistently moving from one place to another, and many more reasons. Out of the children who experience maltreatment, 59% are neglected, 18.4% are physically or sexually abused, 4.2% are mentally abused, and the remaining children had a combination of abuse types. It is because of this maltreatment that every 7 minutes an infant or toddler is removed from their home. Many children who experience this toxic stress respond in different manners. Some have trouble sleeping, trouble controlling their anger, difficulty paying attention, or even become withdrawn from others. Repeated exposure to this negative type of stress at early ages can in return affect children’s brain and nervous system. This result has an effect on school performance and relationships. This reinforces the thoughts and research of neuroscientists.
It is very important that these children have early support and intervention in order to restore mental, emotional, and physical health. Training and education for both parents and educators will assist in doing so. Programs like “Strengthening Families” and “Safe Babies Court Teams” educate parents on how to deal with a variety of stresses in life. Anybody can have a child, and many people do, but raising a child in a nurturing and caring environment is a key factor in the healthy development of children. Teaching parents about the necessities of childhood and what happens to children when these necessities aren’t met is in extreme need. I enjoyed how the resources on this website pointed out that simply educating parents about this information is just the first step. Families need direct resources at all times when they are in need, professionals that they can talk to and financial assistance.
Resources
Hello Arica,
ReplyDeleteThe information tha you posted on toxic stress was very detailed and important for parents,and anyone is pursuing a career in working with young children. I think that its good that you posted the statistics of maltreatment. The whole post was just interesting and it gave me more insights on toxic stress.
Hi Arica,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. The information is very informative. I didn't know that moving around a log would cause toxic stress. I always thought it would probably made the child unstable, but what you've learned makes a lot of sense. Nice post
This is just the information I am finding everywhere. Thanks for your blog, I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog.. http://dailysepost.com/
ReplyDelete