My college experience has given me many opportunities to make some incredible memories and the ones that have had the biggest impact on me are those where I am working with individuals with disabilities or troubled backgrounds. This journey has enriched my life and has provided me with some important life experiences that I plan to use to help become the best teacher that I can possibly be. It is always said that teachers make learning fun but what happens when outside circumstances have a negative impact on a student. The world is a very different place now than when I was growing up. I was fortunate to have to have the love and support of both parents as well as my brother and sister but that is not the case for many individuals. As a future educator I must be passionate about my teaching and demonstrate a love for learning while setting high expectations for all students. This is why I believe it is critical to understand the effect violence has on the emotional and behavior needs of a student’s learning ability. To be able to motivate students, a teacher must first understand and be supportive of a child’s needs and struggles. I believe childhood violence can have a direct and immediate impact on them and that it can be potentially overwhelming on the ability of a child to learn. Are children who are exposed to violence more likely to suffer from attachment problems, regressive behavior, anxiety, and depression? I have seen first-hand in my afterschool field
The first five years of a children’s lives are when he or she are most vulnerable to negative developmental effects due to trauma. More than half of the school age children in domestic violence shelters show clinical levels of anxiety or post traumatic stress disorders. (Myers, 2002) “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience” (Edwards, 2009). Because children in these early ages have little understanding of the situation, children may interpret the acts of violence as a result of something they have done wrong. Small children will complain of stomachaches. Children may learn unhealthy was of dealing with anger, meaning they might have outburst of anger and rage or may just withdraw. Children may regress to an even younger age crying, whining or sucking their thumb. Children will learn that this violence is acceptable behavior. With out intervention and therapy, negative behaviors can be carried over to adolescence and adulthood (Moore, 2004).
For example, in Orange Country Florida, where black students only make up 27% of the public school’s population, black students represent over 50% of the students getting suspended (Lynch, 2016). This can be the effect of discrimination in the school system as young black males are already viewed as “trouble makers.” This alone can also create violence in black males because they recognize the unfair treatment which leads to resentment and anger. This soon manifests into even bigger problems within the self. "Exposure to aggressive experiences, in school and outside school, can profoundly affect mental health, including adjustment at school,” (Basch, 2011). Also found in this article, a recent study showed more than 42,000 11-17-year old’s that were affected by school violence were associated with having experienced internalizing behaviors such as depression, anxiety, sadness and more. Depression, anxiety, sadness are all ways for a child to cause aggression behavior because that's the only way they know to express themselves. This all stems back to the environment in which these young African American males are subjected to (Farrell et al, 2010) as well as their place in society and how they are viewed. If all they see and experience is negativity in their communities, homes and schools, it is what
The school environment was measured by its implementation of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) approach. SEL is a framework that focuses on resiliency and teaching social and emotional competencies to children and youth (Hong, Espelage, Grogan-Kaylor, and Allen-Meares, 2011). Specifically, SEL uses social skill instruction to address behavior, discipline, safety, and academics to help students become self-aware, manage their emotions, build social skills, and make positive decisions. A meta-analytic study of more than 213 maltreatment intervention programs found that SEL-implementing schools could expect better student behavior and an 11-point increase in standardized test scores (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, and Schellinger, 2011). The affluent school with abundant resources implemented SEL to promote resiliency. The less-affluent school with limited resourced did not implement SEL; therefore, its students did not have access to any resiliency
According to the United States department of Justice, Over sixty percent of American children are exposed to a type of violence every year (Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., Hamby, S., and Kracke, K. 2009). These forms of violence can be perpetrated by a victims home, community or school, with majority of children knowing the perpetrator(s). These experiences with violence whether primary or secondary, can cause serious psychological trauma to a child and in worst case scenarios death. The 2009 survey by the Department of Justice also found that children exposed to any form of violence were more likely to engage in violence in the future and almost forty percent of these children were exposed to multiple acts of violence ( pg.2). The
For children living in violent and unsafe homes, they are learning that hitting and verbally abusing someone is the proper way of communicating love. According to Holt, Buckley & Whelan (2008), “as they learn a generational cycle begins in which children grow up to be victims and abusers as adults.” The effects that domestic violence has on children are heartbreaking. Some of the major effects are; increased risk of poor health, poor education, isolation, learned helplessness and decreased satisfaction in such family environment.
Reading about violence can bring up bad memories in children about the passing of a close family member. This kind of thing can reignite the spark of grieving in a child. This can be bad for the child and their education because “As the grade schooler goes through the grieving process, he will have less energy available for the usual tasks of this age.” (Effects of Separation on Children’s Development) This newfound inability to work can cause the child to get extremely behind on their schooling.
Childhood abuse frequently leads to PTSD and sharply increases the risk for later delinquency and violent criminal behavior. Many studies found a relationship between severe childhood abuse and the propensity to victimize others. If the sufferer does not receive treatment, violent behavior may reoccur.” ( Wave Trust, 2014-15). Doctor Dutton has been quoted numerous times in articles, journals, and books as saying, “Although witnessing parental violence, being shamed and being insecurely attached are each sources of trauma in and of themselves, the combination of the three over prolonged and vulnerable developmental phases constitutes a dramatic and powerful trauma source. The child cannot turn to a secure attachment source for soothing, as none exists, yet the need created by the shaming and exposure to violence triggers enormous emotional and physiological reactions requiring soothing.” (2000, pp.
Kids growing in today world are full of violence. Kids bullying kids, make them unhappy depressed and to the point of taking their own life. Kids getting abuse at home or domestic violence is taking place with the parents, making the kids lash out with frustration and angry , and taking it out on innocent people. This has to stop as well. You would think kids that that grow up in that type of hostile situation the kids who grow up to be total opposite. But that not true. As a matter of fact, more kids who grow up in that type of situation would more than likely grow up in that same situation or worse. Majority of these rebellious children grew up in home with violence, witnessing violent acts, and it is almost certain that child will adapt the same tendency to engage in violent acts. Growing up in a violent home can set patterns for children … patterns that can cause them to commit violence and abuse, and continue the cycle of violence and abuse (Love Our Children
Are you tired of having those dreadful and terrible flashbacks of your high school’s days of witnessing some sort of school violence or even being the victim from the violence? American schools all over today are becoming more of a fearful and miserable destination for children to attend and it is even becoming more of a destine nightmare for every teacher and parent as well due to an alarming rate of violent actions of multiple types of crimes being committed by students and consistently having chaotic events. Schools are meant for children to have the feeling of being safe, enjoyment, and allow them to receive an outstanding education that will lead them into the appropriate path for college and then soon lead those students to a brighter
Massachusetts, in contrast, addresses trauma and behavioral health as a means of improving school climate and reducing exclusionary discipline. In 2004, the state established a grant program to create “trauma-sensitive schools.” Such schools address the “educational and psycho-social needs of children whose behavior interferes with learning, particularly those who are suffering from the traumatic effects of exposure to violence (Feierman,
In general, traumatic events effects children throughout different times in their adolescence (Alisic, 2012; Deihl, 2013; Little & Little, 2013; Walkey & Cox, 2013). For example, the Mental Health of Tarrant County (2012) revealed that “26% will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn four years of age and more than 13% of students report being abused” (p. 1). Children’s reaction to trauma is different from how adults react (Bennett et al., 2014; Elzy et al., 2013; Garfin et al., 2014; Walkey & Cox, 2013; West et al., 2014). Traumatic events can lead children to events that cause suspensions and maybe eventually dropping out of school (Porche et al., 2011). Researchers found exposure to traumatic events early cause problems
Emotionally, a child may constantly cry and fear the person who is committing these acts of violence. Some children may have a difficult time learning inside and outside of a classroom setting because of not getting enough rest at home, not being in a stable home, and worriedness. Most children have difficulties being socially active with others. They may not know how to talk or socialize with other children due to the fact that they might fear that they will say something wrong or do something wrong and be punished for it. Mentally, they may suffer from depression and/or anxiety, and maybe even exhibit the behavior that they have been observing (McGee, 2005).
Exposure to domestic violence can impact the behavioral, social-emotional, and cognitive development of children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors with their peers, show signs of depression, and have a difficult time forming relationships (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Cognitively, studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence may have difficulties learning and concentrating in school, have difficulties with conflict resolution skills, and may believe in male privilege, (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Concentration is difficult for children exposed to domestic violence because of how unsafe they may feel in their surroundings. They may be preoccupied with the violence that is
Children in urban areas are affected emotionally, mentally, and physically because of various forms of violence they are subjected to on a daily basis. In the article, “The Impact of Violence on Children,” Joy Osofsky discusses violence relating to children from findings from previous research on this subject. In this article, Osofsky is trying to persuade other scientific professionals, health care physicians, and counselors or psychiatrists of the importance of researching and evaluating prevention and intervention programs to fully understand victims of violence. Osofsky makes it clear that she firmly believes that research is vital in finding better ways to understand violence. She argues that research can clarify the numerous ways that children can be exposed to violence, and how different types of violence can be handled to achieve the best way to help children cope. In this article, Osofsky effectively persuades her audience to invest in research to further expand the knowledge, prevention and intervention programs to help children exposed to violence through her use of pathos, logos, and ethos.
Great Illustration! “Exposure to family and community violence is linked with aggression, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and academic and cognitive difficulties” (Margolin, & Gordis, 2004, p.1). Children who are exposed to violence will likely go unnoticed and unattended by professionals who are counseling with the children and the child’s parents (Margolin, & Gordis, 2004). Parents regularly underestimate their children’s exposure to violence and maybe unaware that abuse is happening in the home (Margolin, & Gordis, 2004). Children who are exposed to violence incline to display symptoms related to everyday types of maladjustment (Margolin, & Gordis, 2004). Therefore, professionals could overlook and not be aware when violence tends