Stress on Children’s Development

Stressors in Childhood

Someone I am very close to grew up in a household full of violence and abuse.  He was the child of a single mother who had to rely on her abusive father to take her and her family in.  This person dealt with physical and emotional abuse on a daily basis and would try to avoid his grandfather as much as possible.  His other family members turned their attention to his sister and protected her at all costs.  He was the target of his grandfather’s frustrations and rage.  He suffered his entire childhood from elementary school through high school.

In order to cope, he tried to avoid his grandfather, helping his mother outside or spending time at friends’ homes.  When he reached his early teenage years, his uncle took him all summer long, which gave him an out from the abuse and violence.  He became an angry teenager who got himself into fights and into alcohol.  When he became old enough, he started physically fighting back against his grandfather.  Once he was 17, he moved out with some older friends who had their own house.  He continued living a reckless party lifestyle. 

This story however, has a happy ending.  When he was older, he obtained counseling services to help him deal with the emotional stress he had lived with for so long.  He went to college, graduate, and law school, traveled the world and overcame the adversity he faced growing up.  He is currently married and has a daughter and has single handedly rebuilt the relationships in his family, including the one with his grandfather. 

Stressors in Afghanistan

I was interested in the country of Afghanistan after reading Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, I was made aware of the devastation the country and its people faced after the intrusion of the Taliban.

People in this country are faced with war, poverty, and hunger.  After years of war, Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world to live.  According to ActionAidUSA, Afghanistan is faced with high infant and child mortality rates, low immunizations, severe nutritional deficiencies, low school enrollment and low literacy levels.  In Kandahar City, over 32,000 school aged children are living and working on the streets.  Of these children, over 75% of them are out of school (www.actionaiduse.org).  Many of these children have lost their parents because of the conflict and scavenge for their food or become involved in dangerous or illegal activities.  Girls are often unable to even attend school because their parents do not see the benefit of education.  Also, children are needed to help earn money for the family.  Food is scarce in the country as well because of draughts.  25,000 kids died of hunger last year. 

Aid is being provided by countries, like the USA, but it’s not enough.  The infrastructure of the country needs to be invested in but, not enough is going into rebuilding schools, hospitals, and airports.  Families who are able, move to other areas in order to try to improve their lives.  The country is still working to rebuild, but the process is slow.        

Source:

http://www.actionaidusa.org/