Consequences Of Stress on Children's Development

 

RACISM

 

 

               Growing up in a all black community I was always faced with this stressor and so was my other relatives. When I grew up in the 70's my dad had been in the Military, went to college and taught school. What I remember like it was yesterday is something he told all of us regularly "Always go above and beyond because people will only see your skin color nothing else, because you were born with people thinking you are less than because of the color of your skin." When I went to middle school for the 6th grade we couldn't go to the school that we thought we would go to because that year they started a program to bring minorities to a then all white school. A bus came to get us and I was stressed out to the point I couldn't focus or do my work. After all I had always been with only one race since starting school. The children wasn't so friendly, they looked at us and frowned on us and called some names. I hated it and I never wanted to go  to school. My grades went down to a C average and I had never received a C on anything. This is just something I had to deal with. After I made friends my grades went by up because these kids was just like us and I stopped stressing.

                The United States is at the top of the list as the most racist country in the world. Minorities are always targeted for racism. No child regardless of race should be forced to deal with so many issues dealing with racism before he or she graduates from high school. Black parents have to teach their children how to deal with police officers. I know me personally I have taught my children what to do when stopped by a police and what not to do. It's very important now because everyday a young black boy or girl is killed by the police. This can cause not only stress but depression because black children are much more likely than white children to be suspended and expelled from school. Even as young as 5 years old black children are suspended. The U.S. Department of Education report in 2014 that blacks make up around 18% of preschoolers throughout the nation and nearly half of them receive out of school suspensions (www.alternet.org). Stress will cause children to have many developmental issues in life and racism causes stress. Extreme stress can cause cortisol to flood the brain and destroy the hippocampus; too much of that hormone early in life may lead to permanent deficits in learning, health, causing major depression, post traumatic stress disorder and attentions deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood and adolescence (Berger, 2016). Since racism is a serious stressor in a young child's life it can cause all of these along with developmental delays. We think because we are adults that children can't get stressed as well. Racism exist and regardless of how we deal with it, things may never fully change. My daughter has always been the only African American child in the many activities she does such as her ballet class, swim class and strings class in school. I have always talked to her about the color of her skin, I've told her it doesn't define who she is and no one is better because of skin color. Everyone bleeds the same color, we all want what's best for our children. This is a problem and will always be one so their are many work shops, educational books, videos and seminars about racism that can help some people understand it better.

                As I was reading things about racism I came across Germany. Although it's regarded as one of the best tourism destinations. It is known for it's racism and how they treat people whose not from Germany. Black people are treated the worst of all races who visit. Germany is the best example of the saying "If you sow hate, you will only reap hate, " even today Germans has a hatred feeling toward foreigners who visit their country for work and living (www.msn.com). Just imagine children having to deal with racism and how it is on us if we have ever faced it so imagine how they feel. Children are innocent and to be faced with racism will cause a great deal of stress and issues they will have when they're older. I can't imagine my daughter having to deal with this and she's only 10 years old. She suppose to be living a worry and stress free childhood. A 10 year old boy doesn't have the right to a childhood as a white boy that age does, in the eyes of many people according to a study published in the American Psychological Association Journal of Personality & Social Psychology: In fact a 10 year old black boy is not even considered to be a child (www.alternet.org). When I read this I could have cried because a 10 year old is a child and it shouldn't matter what color his skin is to anyone. Racism happens when it's taught because children have no clue but then when it's taught they join in as well and generation after generation this problem still exist.

 

 

 

***I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.***

 

 

                                                                     References

 

Berger, K.S. (2016). The Developing Person Through Childhood (7th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers

 

Retrieved from: www.alternet.org/civil-liberties

 

Retrieved from: www. msn.com/en-za/lifestyles/experiences