Violence against hildren - Research Paper Example

Nina Davey EN 110 AB Children and Violence Raising children is among the most gratifying as well as one of the toughest jobs one will ever have. In as much as one can make attempts of being the best parent, this complex world typically presents challenges and disturbing issues which can prove to be quite difficult for the little minds to understand and for their parents to explain. This includes violence. It is worth noting that violence in the contemporary settings tends to make children feel insecure, unsafe, and frightened. Children have to face violent incidents at increasingly tender ages, usually before they are prepared to understand every aspect of the complex situations. Nowadays, there is much concern on the incidents of violence among adolescents and children. This troubling and complex issue needs a deep understanding by teachers, parents, as well as other adults. Children, as young as those in preschool portray violent characteristics, possibly due to the violent surroundings they are exposed to. This presents a lot of challenges to the parents, teachers and the wider society. Thus, this essay will look into such challenges facing children, their effects and the solution to the violence crisis in the society. The rising violence rates in most American cities show that most children are being raised in conditions known as “inner-city war zones” (Garbino et.al., 1992). However, the violence problem is not limited to a particular group or community. Every child today is affected by this violence which pervades the contemporary society. Thus, a healthy progress of children in today’s world has been jeopardized. The causes as well as effects of cases of violence in the society are complex just as they are interrelated; most violence arises from social prejudice common in the society. Key among the major contributors are unemployment, racism, poverty, substance abuse, guns proliferation, abusive parenting practices, and everyday exposure to violent scenes via the media, among others (Craig, 1992). Currently, every fifth child is exposed to poverty; for the children below six years, the number is twenty five percent. The fundamental services to families with a low income have been significantly reduced in the past decade as the federal funding in America has been cut. With the disappearance of social programs and the deterioration of the economy, violence in schools, homes, and communities have escalated. The handguns proliferations have also greatly contributed to the increasing violent assaults as well as homicides that children experience. The violence culture is reflected in and promoted by the media. Resulting from the broadcasting industry deregulation, children’s programs as well as toys have turned out to be increasingly violent in nature. According to research, it is clear that films and television contribute to this violence crisis in America. Furthermore, research shows that the children who frequently view violent programs on television are less expected to demonstrate empathy toward the suffering and pain of others and are also highly likely to behave very aggressively. Violence touches on the life of each and every child in America; some may be more directly compared to others. This country also committed itself to the national goal in the year 2000 that all children are to start school prepared to learn. However, achieving this objective will not be possible unless the country also decides to break the violence cycle which has gripped many families and children as well. It is worth noting that children desire to be secure and safe at home in order to cultivate a positive self-necessary sense to their development into productive, caring, and healthy adults. The same children also need safety within their communities in order to develop and explore relationships with others and this safety is a basic requirement in the school settings for children to learn successfully. A basic necessity of every child is to feel safe, sound, and secure. It a child feels unsafe, he/she can become traumatized as a victim or can eventually turn into a perpetrator. American children show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder which were first related to a number of Vietnam veterans alongside children who live in war-torn countries; inability to concentrate, sleep disturbances, nightmares, terror images, and flashbacks. Younger children are more at risk of unhealthy development when exposed to violence. People who experienced trauma before eleven years are thrice more likely to have psychiatric symptoms than those who had their first traumatic experiences as teenagers. Continuous exposure to violence can generate grave developmental repercussions for children. This includes psychological disorders, loss and grief reactions, school problems and impaired intellectual development, truncated moral development, and identification with an aggressor (Craig, 1992). It is not surprising that those children who are exposed to violence find it difficult to focus on studies or participating in other playful activities which should be valued childhood experiences (Department of Justice, n.d). It is generally estimated that almost eighty percent of every child who has beenexposed to commanding stressors do not maintain developmental damage (Werner, 1990). Furthermore, research has it that there are some factors which play a role to the pliability of such children. The individual characteristics of a child alongside life experiences, as well as the protective elements in a child’s social and physical environment, have a say in resilience. There are some protective elements within the environment which are linked with resilience: stable relationships with a significant adult or at least a parent; an open and supportive educational environment; and social support from people outside the family. The major buffer is a helpful relationship with parents. Many children can cope with risky environments and also have resilience as long as their guardians are not frustrated beyond their limits (Garbarino et al., 1992). Children and school care programs can be critically important support systems by improving the resilience of children and also providing resources for parents for them to act as psychological buffers to guard their offspring. In tackling this contentious issue, two major areas can be looked into: Advocation of public actions and policies at the national level and; enhancing the capacity of educators to offer assistance to children to cope with cases of violence as well as promoting the resilience of children. Concerning the former, most of the negative results seen before can be avoided if one is willing to act on different fronts. First, the country has to focus resources and energy on avoidance and prevention as opposed to only supporting increasing criminal justice plans which follow after the act and time has shown that they are not effective preventive measures. Each sector in the society has to assume some form of responsibility for this problem. The major challenge is to create policies which water down the amount of risk factors for every child, especially those children coming from families with low income. Policies have to target the largest number of resources for children in the elementary and preschool years when the little minds are highly susceptible to developmental damages when being exposed to violence. A number of key steps are required for the nation to curb hostility in children’s lives: First, it is believed that an important initial step is to create a sense of nationwide outrage which will motivate deeds that will do away with violence in the spheres of communities, families, and children. Most Americans believe that the cases of violence only occur to other people or in specific places. Consequently, increasing violence in the nation has been tackled with surprising lack of interest. Only when such cases closely affect them is when people are driven to take actions and in most cases than not, it is often too late. Most adults are too exposed to violent cases, on the streets, media, and in the wider society that people have become quite insensitive to violent cases or disempowered to take actions. Second, in 1980, there were almost half a million prisoners in jails in America; ten years later, the number had doubled. Apparently, it is clear that criminal justice on its own can do little to prevent violent cases. Such efforts have to be backed with greater or equal allocated resources to proven policies which prevent violence, beginning with programs that target families having young children. Third, Societies have to be committed to altering the conditions that children are predisposed to, mitigating the risk factors that children are exposed to, and enhancing psychological and social resources. Policies have to back the provision of employment which pay sustainable wages, adequate health care, affordable housing, strong supportive families, top-quality school-age and childhood programs, and secure neighborhoods. Fourth, in as much as violent cases affects the whole country, violence in the inner cities need target form of assistance to help children to break the violence cycle. Resources must be availed for programs which look into violence prevention via laws such as Law Enforcement Partnership Act. Better funding is necessary for family support programs which will armor parents with coping skills and also help them to cultivate positive parental behaviors. More resources are also needed to help children who are violence victims. Fifth, If firearms could keep people safe, then America would be the safest place on earth since so many weapons are readily available. For instance, in Texas, there are four weapons available to each citizen of the state. It is not surprising that America is the most violent society in the industrialized world. If the nation has plans of achieving safe communities and school, then the presence of firearms in the country has to be reduced drastically. A number of children are usually “accidentally” injured with guns, sometimes it results to death. Such tragedies can be prevented by limiting the access that children have to firearms. Also, since the media was deregulated in the eighties, the exposure of children to violence via the media has become uncontrollable. It was presumed that broadcasters would act in a responsible manner to limit any form of exposure to violence without the obstruction of regulation. However, this has been quite different.The Federal Regulation Commission has to find a way of regulating the amount of violence that is present on television. The linkup of programs which depict violence and commercial products has a number of harmful effects on the progress of children. Regulation is also required to establish control on practices which sell violence to the young minds through the linkup of toys, media, and licensed products. It is worth noting that violent scenes in films are on the rise, and even previews are being seen during children’s TV and family films. Furthermore, most states continue to allow corporal punishment within their school setups and even in child care programs. The use corporal punishment in such schools teaches children that the employ of physical solutions to misunderstandings is fine with adults and that violence is the best way of controlling others. This form of punishment has to be avoided for the healthy development of young minds. The second major area to be looked at is enhancing the capacity of educators to assist children to cope with violence. Similar to all societal sectors, the profession of early childhood has a key role to perform in breaking the violence cycle in the spheres of children. Certain suggestions for action are seen in each of the following areas First, the professionals of the early childhood have to help parents to deal with violence. Family needs also range down a continuum popular culture integrates children so efficiently into violent behavior that the society is in reality undermining the ability of parents to guard their own children. There are cases whereby some parents suffer from violence themselves and hence are unable to act as buffer of emotional protection which is needed by children. Additionally, there are some parents who they themselves are perpetrators of violence. This is common in cases of domestic violence and this leads to their own children becoming their very victims. In such a case, the following ought to be done: The families should be enlightened on the profound effect that violence has on a child The government should support the important function that parents play in the cultivation of pro-social behavior. Relevant groups have to collaborate with parents to create the necessary changes in communities to curb violence. Second, people should not look down upon the critical role that early childhood programs play in supporting the healthy growth of families and children. In as much as top-quality early childhood curriculums are not an insulation against the destructive nature of violence, favorable early childhood experiences as well as warm relationships with teachers are positive contributors to the ability of children to cope with trauma and stress. In order to achieve such a potential, the programs have to abide by the highest possible professional levels. Furthermore, teachers have to be trained well and complete support systems have to be put in place. Additionally, it is common knowledge that positive school experiences are critical factors to the children’s resilience when exposed to stress. Of key significance is a trustworthy relationship between a child and a primary or preschool teacher. Regrettably, most teachers have not received training on how to handle children suffering from violence effects. Additionally, the same teachers do not have an idea of the alternatives to give children who are violent in nature. As such, teachers have to be provided with educational programs which address specific areas of child development in theory and in practice. Conclusion It is worth to note that the violence which plagues most societies has many sources. Its subsequent mitigation will need careful and systematic awareness at many levels. Of special importance, citizens have to develop and outrage of this nature of victimization and they also have to turn the outrage into positive action to prevent cases of violence in the lives of children. It is also important that each individual has to commit himself/herself to appropriate actions in their own spheres of influence. References Craig, S. (1992). The Educational Needs of Children Living With Violence. Phi Delta Kappan, 74(1), 67-71. Garbarino J., Dubrow, N., Kostelny, K. & Pardo, C. (1992).Children in danger: Coping with the effects of community violence. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Taylor, V. (2013, June 18). Young children exposed to violence at home more likely to become bullies: study Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/kids-exposed-domestic-violence-bullies-study-article-1.1376262#ixzz30YRyfpwH. New York Daily News, p. 13. USDOJ: Defending Childhood: Facts about Children and Violence. (n.d.). Facts About Children and Violence. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/f Read More