Stress and Children's Development

Residential fire is a very common disaster.  Fires cause emotional distress as well as physical damage.  Fire threatens life and property.  They are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and terrifying.  Children often are affected by what they see during and after a fire, whether or not they are physically injured.  The best predictor of post- fire distress in children appears to be how frightening the experience of the fire was and the extent of the loss (NCTSN, 2015).  At the age of 6, my best friend, Rosalyn, who was 7, lost everything in a house fire.  Fortunately, everyone got out safely and there was no loss of life nor did anyone suffer any physical injury.  However, the months that followed were very difficult for Rosalyn emotionally.  She had trouble sleeping due to recurrent dreams that caused her to relive the night of the fire.  She would wake screaming for her mom and dad.  Anytime she heard a siren, she would become very frightened.  She was also protective of her belongings from that point on.  She had lost everything in the fire.  She experienced increased worry about the safety of her family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors, and herself.  She worried that there would be another fire.  For months, she was irritable, sad, and had trouble leaving her parents.  She also was absent from school more because of headaches and stomachaches.  Her parents, family, church, and friends helped her to cope.  Her parents reassured her and maintained normal structure and routines.  They were understanding of her feelings.  They were able to keep her in the same community and school.  The family also sought counselling together.  Their friends and church came together and quickly helped them to replace their lost clothing and toys for Rosalyn.  The church provided them with shelter while they waited for insurance claims and their home to be rebuilt.  Resources, counselling, and their love for each other helped them to cope through this time of great stress.  Eventually, Rosalyn and her family overcame their emotional stress without any lasting effects on Rosalyn’s biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development, but it took quite some time.  If not for the support they received and strong family bonds, the outcome could have been different.  

Brain Synapses

A fire undermines a family’s sense of safety.  Losing one's home and property can lead to depression and elevated levels of distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Following a fire, families may face financial hardship and medical problems.  Parents may feel confused and frustrated as they deal with insurance companies and disaster assistance agencies.  Families should not underestimate the cumulative emotional effects of evacuation, displacement, relocation, and/or rebuilding.  The physical and emotional recovery process following a fire can be lengthy (NCTSN, 2015).

Child Abuse in Industrialized Nations                                  

Almost 3,500 children under the age of 15 die from physical abuse and neglect every year in the industrialized world. Two children die from abuse and neglect every week in Germany and the United Kingdom, three per week in France, four per week in Japan, and 27 per week in the United States . The risk of death by maltreatment is approximately three times greater for infants than for those ages one to four. The risk doubles for those ages five to fourteen.  A small group of countries – Spain, Greece, Italy, Ireland and Norway – appear to have an exceptionally low incidence of child maltreatment deaths. Five nations including Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Hungary, and France have levels of child maltreatment deaths that are four to six times higher than the average for the leading countries. Three countries including the United States, Mexico, and Portugal  have rates that are between 10 and 15 times higher than the average for the leading countries. Poverty, stress, partner abuse,  as well as drug and alcohol abuse appear to be the factors that are the most closely and consistently associated with child abuse and neglect.

In addition to immediate pain and any long-term physical damage, the maltreatment of children can weaken the ability to thrive and develop normally. It can damage the ability to learn, to communicate, to form attachments, and to interact normally with others. It can cause anxiety, depression, aggression, and a lowered sense of self-worth. Obviously, it can and often does result in severe psychological impairment and behavioral difficulties.  Long-term effects include a greater tendency to physical inactivity, tobacco use, alcohol and drug abuse, risky sexual behavior, and suicide.

Strategies are in place to try to reduce and prevent child abuse in industrialized nations, which include the appointment of children’s ombudspersons in several OECD countries, the setting up of child help-lines, the growing sophistication and integration of home visiting services, the increase in media coverage, and the closer monitoring of children considered at risk. Specific instances showing of concern include the campaign to combat all forms of violence recently launched by the Council of Europe and the regular reports on child protection measures now being provided by most industrialized countries to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Seven countries have banned spanking as a legal form of discipline. What is the answer to reducing or preventing the maltreatment of the world’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens?  Is it in reducing poverty, strengthening and supporting families, and/or banning spanking.  UNICEF’S report (2003) quotes Neil Guterman,  “We not only face a moral imperative to work to end this all-too-common form of victimization and deprivation of our youngest citizens. We also face a societal imperative, confronting us with the reality that child abuse and neglect, particularly experienced early in life, form the taproot of some of the most destructive and costly social problems of our day, including substance and alcohol abuse, problematic school performance, juvenile delinquency and crime, later-life depression, and domestic violence” (p.19).

References

NCTSN.  (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/fires/residential-fires

UNICEF. (2003). “A league table of child maltreatment deaths in rich nations.” Innocenti Report Card No.5.  UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence.  Retrieved from http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard5e.pdf