Child Development

Child Development and the Environment Many key factors contribute to and determine the development of a child, be it positive or negative. However, in my opinion the most influential factor is the environment; it has the potential to enhance or interrupt both their early years and later development. In her poem, Dr. Dorothy Law speaks about the link between the environment and a child’s development. When I read this poem for one point really stood out at me which was ‘if children live with hostility, they learn to fight.’ The first thought that came to mind was children that are exposed to domestic violence. Living within an environment full of hostility, many children become vulnerable; they suffer from low self-confidence and esteem.
She grew up in a hostile environment with an authoritarian care giver. She always felt smothered by this constant control over her and needed a place to vent her emotions, so she turned to bullying during elementary school. It all began when one girl made fun of her in class. One day my friend put her hand up to answer a question and when she got it wrong, she heard one of our classmate snigger and make fun of her. She had embarrassed her in front of the whole class which made my friend furious. To defend herself, my friend called her a ‘ginger minger’ since our class mate had orange hair and freckles. Everyone started laughing and joined in shouting ‘ginger minger’ at her. The girl started crying and my friend got sent out of the class. Seeing her cry like that made my friend feel
From that day on, my friend never stopped bullying that girl. She would call her names, push her around and eventually she was able to get her cell phone number. My friend began making threatening calls to the girl
At school one morning, my friend got called to see the Headmistress. She told her that the girl she was bullying was in hospital because she'd drank some bleach. She said she'd done it because she wanted to get away from the bullying. My friend was devastated by the news and it was at this point that she began counselling. She never turned to bullying again and found healthier ways to express her fear and anger. Luckily, the girl who was bullied didn’t suffer any serious injuries. Living in an abusive situation, you are surrounded by fear and uncertainty which can be paralyzing both physically and emotionally. Domestic violence not only deprives children of the joys of childhood but it can disrupt their sense of safety and security whilst threatening their well-being, development and social adjustment. ‘Chronic traumatic exposure may lead to persistent changes in the brain structure and chemistry. Current research suggests that these biological alterations contribute to long term physical, emotional, behavioural, developmental socially and cognitive dysfunction seen in adults who have experienced childhood