The Influence of Childhood Images on Children Rights - Literature review Example

INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD IMAGES ON THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN Student’s Name: Code + Course name Professor’s name University City, State Date Introduction The images of childhood are the experiences of an infant, child, or adolescent during the early years of his or her lifetime. Images of childhood have an influence on the mental and cognitive aspects of the child. Surrogate children present the greatest risk of developing mental health problems as compared to the other children in general (Smith & Palmieri 2007). Surrogates, just as the other children have the right to play and education to ensure the proper development of their cognitive and mental aspects. Positive images of childhood also include granting children the right to play and education since play enables children to create and sustain relationships with their peers as well as endure difficult situations in their life. Positive images of childhood also include the provision of assessment and intervention measures to disabled children to enable them to put up with the standard educational and social settings. This paper covers the influence of the image of childhood on the rights of infants, children, and adolescents on the aspects of offshore surrogacy, right to play, disability, and children. The Influence of Images of Childhood on the Rights of Offshore Surrogates The enactment of stringent laws against commercial surrogacy in Australia has compelled parents to seek surrogacy services from other countries having less strict laws such as India and Taiwan. The resulting child from the agreement is an offshore surrogate (Cuthbert & Fronet 2014). The Australian law only permits altruistic surrogacy. Numerous concerns have emanated from the negative childhood images of surrogates with the argument that surrogates encounter psychological problems that affect the development of their cognitive and mental aspects. The characteristics of the images of genetic surrogates include psychological problems associated with their real parentage and the possible deprivation of other rights in the event that there exists a row between the biological and foster parents. According to Keyes (2012), the commodification of reproductive services, women, and children has raised numerous concerns and debates in Australia. Parentage rows over the surrogate subject the child to psychological problems that reflect negative images of childhood thereby influencing the development of the child negatively. Jadva and Imrie (2013) conducted a study on the images of childhood exhibited by both gestational and genetic surrogates. According to the study, gestational surrogates did not exhibit negative images of childhood characterized by psychological problems within their families (Imrie & Jadva 2014). The positive relationships experienced between gestational surrogates and their parents emanated from the fact that gestational surrogates do not encounter battles about their parentage, as it is the case with genetic surrogates. This is because the parents of the child are the donors of the egg and sperm before its transfer to the surrogate mother (Brinsden 2003). However, either the ovum or sperm of a genetic surrogate emanates from a donor parent that may also be the surrogate mother. This suffices to be the genesis of the parentage rows in the event that the surrogate mother defies the initial agreement and decides to keep the child. In the quest to ensure positive images of childhood for surrogates, most countries recommend gestational surrogacy arrangements to their genetic counterparts. The quest of the child to know the real parents associated with the battles of parentage between the surrogate and foster parents creates negative childhood images to the surrogate thereby having an adverse impact on the social and cognitive aspects of the child. Regardless of the rows over the background of the child, the Australian law emphasises on the need to ensure that all children have positive images of childhood such as the granting of the right to play and education, and fair treatment in the case of disabled surrogates. Images of Childhood and the Right to Play The right to play is a basic right of a child. The significance of granting a child the right to play emanates from the fact that allowing a child to engage in playful activities with peers is a fundamental aspect of the childhood images of the child since it determines the mental and cognitive development processes of the child. The playfulness of a child determines the child’s mental wellbeing (Whitebread et al. 2012). Therefore, play is a crucial aspect of the childhood images of a child since it results in the formation of secure emotional attachments among children. Excessive stress, on the other hand, is an inhibiting factor to the development of positive childhood images. The adverse effect of stress on the childhood images of the child arise from the fact that stress reduces the playful behaviour of children during their childhood thereby reducing the mental and cognitive development process. The ultimate result is the inability of the child to form secure relationships with peers as well as deal with conflicting situations in the future. Being a negative aspect of the childhood image of the child, stress also impedes the ability of the child to regulate emotions and exhibit empathy. Brooker and Woodhead (2013) heighten the significance of play as an aspect of the infant’s childhood image in enabling healthy emotional and social development processes. The playfulness of a child secures the child’s emotional attachments thereby enabling the child to put up with anxiety and stress. Therefore, it is proper to consider play as a fundamental right of the child. In spite of the adverse effect of childhood stress as a critical element in the childhood images of an infant, moderate levels of stress and environmental unpredictability are essential for the development of positive childhood images. However, extreme levels of environmental unpredictability and stress subject children to negative images of childhood thereby escalating depression levels. This, in turn, impedes the ability of the child to create and sustain friendships with peers as well as tolerate stress and anxiety in the future. In essence, subjecting children to manageable stress plays a pivotal role in presenting positive images of childhood to the children (Gunnar et al. 2009). Parents should consider the right to play as a basic right of any child by creating favourable environments that stimulate and support emotional development (Siraj-Blatchford & Woodhead 2009). The primary causes of the poor mental development of a juvenile include parental stress, poverty (Thompson 2014), and inadequate training. As a result, denying children the right to play creates negative childhood images thus having an adverse effect on the ability of the child to relate positively with peers in the future. Images of Childhood, Disability, and the Right to Education Positive images of childhood also require the inclusion of children with disabilities in development matters by all stakeholders. Stigmatising disabled children presents negative childhood images to the at risk children thereby having an adverse effect on their ability to form positive relationships with their peers. The other forms of treating disabled children unfairly that subject them to adverse images of childhood include abandonment, institutionalisation, concealment, and abuse. Disabled surrogates seem to encounter negative images of childhood to a greater extent as compared to the other children (UNESCO 2009). The situation is worse in commercial surrogacy arrangements that yield disabled children. Negative images of childhood experienced by disabled children explain the high rates of the mortality of such infants even in countries that record low levels of mortality for the under 5 category of children. According to UNESCO (2009), approximately 95% of disabled children do not attend school. This creates negative images of childhood as evidenced by the fact that such children consider themselves to be disadvantaged in the society. Therefore, creating positive images of childhood require the adoption of early assessment and intervention measures by all stakeholders in the care process such as parents, guardians, and teachers (Lange & Thompson 2006). Families and other caregivers should subject disabled children to early intervention programs even before they attain schooling eligibility. In essence, disabled children have the right to education and access to therapeutic services as prerequisites to their ability to experience positive images of childhood. As mentioned before, children have the right to education. As a result, creating positive images of childhood to all children requires ascertaining that children have equitable access to education regardless of whether they are surrogates or disabled. Ensuring that the images of childhood experienced by children are positive also requires the addressing of inequality issues that may prevent certain disadvantaged groups of children from their basic right to education. Some of the inequality contributors include extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases, ethnic struggles and cross-national conflicts, corrupt and weak educational infrastructures, and inadequate social and health support (WHO & UNICEF 2012). According to Woodburn (2006), children that encounter hardships such as discontinuities, challenges, disruptions, and separations present negative images of childhood to the affected children thereby having a significant adverse influence on their mental and cognitive development processes. Conclusion Images of childhood influence the rights of infants, children, and adolescents. The psychological problems encountered by surrogate children subject them to negative images of childhood thereby affecting their ability to create and maintain relationships as well as deal with stress and anxiety. In order to create positive images of childhood, it is imperative to consider play as a fundamental child right. Playfulness contributes immensely towards enhancing the child’s mental and cognitive development processes. It is also imperative for all caregivers to grant disabled children the right to education and access to therapeutic services in the quest to create positive images of childhood among the disadvantaged group of children. Offering equitable access to education and the adoption of proper intervention measures ensures that disabled children experience positive images of childhood that enables them to cope with anxiety and stress as well as put up with the standard educational and social settings. Reference List Brinsden, P.R., 2003. Gestational surrogacy. Human Reproduction Update, 9(5), pp.483-491. Brooker, L. and Woodhead, M., 2013. The right to play (Vol. 9). The Open University with the support of Bernard van Leer Foundation. Cuthbert, D. and Fronek, P., 2014. Families, policy and the law: Selected essays on contemporary issues for Australia. Gunnar, M.R., Herrera, A. and Hostinar, C.E., 2009. Stress and early brain development. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, pp.1-8. Imrie, S. and Jadva, V., 2014. The long-term experiences of surrogates: relationships and contact with surrogacy families in genetic and gestational surrogacy arrangements. Reproductive biomedicine online, 29(4), pp.424-435. Jadva, V. and Imrie, S., 2013. Children of surrogate mothers: psychological well-being, family relationships and experiences of surrogacy. Human Reproduction, p.det410. Keyes, M., 2012. Cross-border surrogacy agreements. Australian Journal of Family Law, 26(1), pp.28-50. Lange, S.M. and Thompson, B., 2006. Early Identification and Interventions for Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities. International Journal of Special Education, 21(3), pp.108-119. Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Woodhead, M., 2009. Effective early childhood programmes. Smith, G.C. and Palmieri, P.A., 2007. Risk of psychological difficulties among children raised by custodial grandparents. Psychiatric Services, 58(10), pp.1303-1310. Thompson, R.A., 2014. Stress and child development. The Future of Children, 24(1), pp.41-59. UNESCO., 2009. Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: The Early Childhood Imperative. UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. Whitebread, D., Basilio, M., Kuvalja, M. and Verma, M., 2012. The importance of play. Brussels: Toy Industries Europe. Woodhead, M., 2006. Changing perspectives on early childhood: theory, research and policy. International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, 4(2), pp.1-43. World Health Organization and Unicef, 2012. 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Images of Childhood and the Right to Play The right to play is a basic right of a child. The significance of granting a child the right to play emanates from the fact that allowing a child to engage in playful activities with peers is a fundamental aspect of the childhood images of the child since it determines the mental and cognitive development processes of the child. The playfulness of a child determines the child’s mental wellbeing (Whitebread et al. 2012). Therefore, play is a crucial aspect of the childhood images of a child since it results in the formation of secure emotional attachments among children.

Excessive stress, on the other hand, is an inhibiting factor to the development of positive childhood images. The adverse effect of stress on the childhood images of the child arise from the fact that stress reduces the playful behaviour of children during their childhood thereby reducing the mental and cognitive development process. The ultimate result is the inability of the child to form secure relationships with peers as well as deal with conflicting situations in the future. Being a negative aspect of the childhood image of the child, stress also impedes the ability of the child to regulate emotions and exhibit empathy.

Brooker and Woodhead (2013) heighten the significance of play as an aspect of the infant’s childhood image in enabling healthy emotional and social development processes. The playfulness of a child secures the child’s emotional attachments thereby enabling the child to put up with anxiety and stress. Therefore, it is proper to consider play as a fundamental right of the child. In spite of the adverse effect of childhood stress as a critical element in the childhood images of an infant, moderate levels of stress and environmental unpredictability are essential for the development of positive childhood images.

However, extreme levels of environmental unpredictability and stress subject children to negative images of childhood thereby escalating depression levels. This, in turn, impedes the ability of the child to create and sustain friendships with peers as well as tolerate stress and anxiety in the future. In essence, subjecting children to manageable stress plays a pivotal role in presenting positive images of childhood to the children (Gunnar et al. 2009). Parents should consider the right to play as a basic right of any child by creating favourable environments that stimulate and support emotional development (Siraj-Blatchford & Woodhead 2009).

The primary causes of the poor mental development of a juvenile include parental stress, poverty (Thompson 2014), and inadequate training. As a result, denying children the right to play creates negative childhood images thus having an adverse effect on the ability of the child to relate positively with peers in the future. Images of Childhood, Disability, and the Right to Education Positive images of childhood also require the inclusion of children with disabilities in development matters by all stakeholders.

Stigmatising disabled children presents negative childhood images to the at risk children thereby having an adverse effect on their ability to form positive relationships with their peers. The other forms of treating disabled children unfairly that subject them to adverse images of childhood include abandonment, institutionalisation, concealment, and abuse. Disabled surrogates seem to encounter negative images of childhood to a greater extent as compared to the other children (UNESCO 2009). The situation is worse in commercial surrogacy arrangements that yield disabled children.

Negative images of childhood experienced by disabled children explain the high rates of the mortality of such infants even in countries that record low levels of mortality for the under 5 category of children. According to UNESCO (2009), approximately 95% of disabled children do not attend school. This creates negative images of childhood as evidenced by the fact that such children consider themselves to be disadvantaged in the society.

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