Development of Pro-Social Behavior in Young Children - Essay Example

Development of pro-social behavior in young children Introduction Pro-social behavior, also known as "voluntary behavior intended to benefit another” just as the name suggests refers to a set of social behaviors that benefit other people in a society. Such behaviors include traits like donating, helping others, sharing, volunteering and cooperating among many others. Humans are social beings and the relationships among humans rely on the ability of people to acquire the pro-social behaviors. The pro-social behaviors often foster positive traits in children thereby enhancing the developing of a peaceful and cohesive society. The development of the pro-social behaviors in young children is a detailed process that relies on the nature of the relationships the child forms with those in their immediate environments. This implies that parents and family influences the development of the pro-social behaviors in children as the discussion below portrays. Erik Erikson, one of the leading socio-emotional development theorists, argues in his stages of development that children develop systematically by going through a number of stages. Each of the eight stages is important since the success of one stage influences the success of the successive stage (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). The theory of development portrays the role parents and family plays in the development of pro-social behaviors in children. As explained earlier, the pro-social behaviors are systematic and rely on the values that a child acquires in the stages of development. In turn, the child sustains the development of a stable and cohesive society by sharing the same values with those he or she interacts with as they grow up and extend their relationships to people beyond their families. In the first stage, Erikson explains that children learn either basic trust or basic mistrust. At this stage, a child is in early infancy possibly between the first and their second years. At this stage, the children interact with their immediate family. A child possibly spends more time with the mother during breastfeeding among other cares hat a mother gives to her baby. When a mother handles her child properly by showing them love, feeding them properly and keeps the child physically and psychotically settled, such a child becomes increasingly secure, trusts the people around him or her and become increasingly optimistic. Such a mother must have a peaceful family in which everyone in the family possibly both parents show love, care and affection to the children. On the contrary, a child who lacks love and lives in a disjointed family becomes mistrustful and insecure. Such are children who do not interact with their parents adequately, witness violence in the family and often miss necessities. Such children may often face cruelty from their own parents. They therefore become increasingly insecure and pessimist. The limit their interactions even to those they know. They withdraw from social activities and acquire anti-social behaviors. This proves that the immediate family orients a child to the society. A child acquires some of the basic social values from the family. They do so by developing such values naturally through interaction by their parents and siblings if any. Firstborns who interact mainly with their parents require adequate affection, love and provision from their parents in order to develop the basic trust that forms the basis for the acquisition of other pro-social behaviors. The second stage is one in which children learn either autonomy or shame depending on the nature of their interactions with their families. As explained earlier, the previous stage influences the performance of a child in the second stage. At this stage, a child with good parentage becomes independent and able of controlling itself. Self-control is essential in the acquisition of pro-social behaviors. Such children interact with others affectionately. They smile and shake hands with those they interact. Self-confidence is a vital social tool and well-parented children become self-confident unlike children who live in disjointed families. Such children are skeptic about every social feature. They increasingly become insecure and anti-social. Lack of self-confidence often results inferiority complex. Such features affect the process of developing pro-social behaviors since such children cannot interact with others. They lack the basic social values. Such children are greedy and do not show compassion to others. The social and emotional development of children continues in such manner for the subsequent stages. Yong children below the age of seven interact mostly with their parents and immediate families if any. The other two stages are vital since the children learn identity. Learning identity is vital for every child since at this stage children acquire personal traits that persist even in adulthood. As such, parents should always ensure that they nature their children appropriately in order to provide them with the most appropriate identities, that encourage pro-social behaviors (Thornton, 2008). The relationship between a parent and a child is vital since it imparts on the personality of their children. The family institution contributes to values that a child acquires. In order for a child to appreciate and acquire the pro-social values, the children must observe such values in the family thus emulate both their parents and children. This way, they extend such values to the rest of the society. A child for example should begin by being willing to share a snack with a family member such as a parent. This way, they can readily share their toys with their colleagues in such rudimentary institutions as nurseries. Among the features that influence the development of pro-social behaviors in children is discipline. Discipline refers to the process of correcting a mistake thereby making a child account for his or her mistakes. As children grow, they become cheeky and become prone to making mistakes some of which irritate their parents. Discipline sessions provide parents with an appropriate opportunity to teach their children appropriate social values and the pro-social behaviors. The approach that a parent gives to discipline is essential in ensuring that a child acquires the pro-social behaviors and appreciate the social values. Firstly, children who receive love and affection from his or her parents and live in cohesive and love-filled families are less likely to make mistakes especially those that may warrant any rash discipline. Parents should establish appropriate ways of making their children account for their mistakes. Doing this by making the child aware of his or her mistake and making them promise not to repeat them is a ways of instilling discipline. Some parents may always reward desirable behavior. This way, a child shuns any activity that may irritate their parents. Some parents on the other hand use violence to attempt to discourage indiscipline in the family. Violence is a form of abuse, which portrays the lack of love and affection that parents show their children. Immense violence and brutality against a child discourages the development of pro-social behaviors. Additionally, such discourages the social development of a child since the child becomes withdrawn and fears engaging in any activity for the fear of annoying their parents. As such, parents should encourage peaceful ways of disciplining their children, ways that encourage accountability without risking the physical and psychological wellbeing of a child. Coercive home environments encourage aggression, which discourages the development of pro-social behaviors. Young children spend most of their time at home with their families. As such, the home must be habitable for the children. The home must encourage the development of the pro-social behaviors. A coercive home is one in which family members act aggressively against each other, often annoy each other and use aggressive and antisocial ways of resolving conflicts. Such a home environment discourages the holistic development of a child. As explained earlier, a home must encourage the probable behaviors that contribute to the development of the pro-social behaviors in children. The relationship among the family members influences the nature of the home environment (Landy, 2009). Children acquire social values from the adults among other people they interact with at home. As such, the people must encourage the development of friendly home environments by correcting each other appropriately and encouraging such social behaviors as sharing, forgiveness and cooperation. Marital conflicts and the psychological stability of the parents are likely to influence the development of children. Marital violence is among the basic features that make the home environment coercive. Parents embroiled in marital conflicts are always aggressive and do not give their children the attention they require at such sensitive stages. Additionally, such parents are likely to use abusive words hereby making the home environment violent for their children. As observant as they are, the children growing up in such families begin to hate either parent and may always extend such feelings to other members of the society of similar gender. In retrospect, parents play an important role in the development of a child. Parents form the initial societies that a child interacts with thereby influencing he values that a child acquires. Parents teach their children the pro-social behaviors literarily. A parent can teach a child to share his toy with another. As children grow, a parent can teach them the role of forgiveness. While teaching is vital in ensuring the acquisition of the pro-social behaviors, children are always observant and emulate the adults in their lives. As such, parents must act appropriately and develop an environment that encourages the pro-social behaviors within the home. This way, the teachings resonate with the environments at home thereby encouraging the acquisition of the social values and the pro-social behaviors in children. Reference Landy, S. (2009). Pathways to competence: Encouraging healthy social and emotional development in young children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Thornton, S. (2008). Understanding human development: Biological, social, and psychological processes from conception to adult life. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More