The stressors I have chosen is not listed above,
but it is prominent in the lives of many children everywhere across the world. I
decided to discuss abuse and neglect because, I see it almost every day while
at work, in a store, or an event; there is always one child who does not look
like he or she is getting all of the things they need in life. When I was
growing up, I did not see too many issues that were an epidemic in my
neighborhood. As I got older, I began to notice many things that I had not seen
before. I have a niece and a nephew who were neglected as children. They were
about one and two years of age when their mother and father left the in a house
for several days by themselves. Both parents were on drugs and they left two
innocent children alone without anyone to care for them. Someone heard their
cries and located the nearest relative to come get the children from the house.
The children did not seem to have any visible scars from the situation, but as
they grew, we began to notice their behavior. My niece seems to be unaware of
the things going on around her, and my nephew thinks he knows everything there
is to know about the great big world. Sadly speaking, they are both products of
drug abusing parents, and both of them were subject to it prior, during, and
after birth. Both of them are socially awkward, cognitively, they are not functioning,
as they should, but physically, they appear to be fine. Even though they do not
have any physical defects, there are many internal flaws. They grew up
wondering where their mother and father were, and thought that no one loved or
cared for them. According to Berger (2012), children need loving parents and
caregivers to respond to their needs, this makes the child feel safe. These
children did not feel safe because, they were adopted and raised by someone
they did not know, that was a stressor within itself. Many years after the
children were taken from their home, their father reappeared in their lives
trying to take them from the place they knew as their home. After many
attempts, their father was granted visitation rights. He acted as if he wanted
the responsibility of caring for them, but soon the children found out the
truth. When their father was finally given permission to take them, he said
that he does not have time for them; he is on a journey. Now, the two children
have been neglected once again by their father; and neither one of them has
seen their mother since they were infants. It is sad to see two children who have
not had a chance to get to know their biological mother or father; I have seen
the hurt in their eyes. At the time they were abandoned, I was too young to do
anything about it, I wish I could have had the chance to raise them when they
were younger, now they are older teens and they do not have a clue as to how to
function in the real world. I continue to talk with them about life and the pursuit
of happiness; when they are older, I hope they can find a good path in life and
walk there in.
During my research on the above topic, I found
an article to show how children in Africa suffer each day due to stressors. I chose to research the effects of war, poverty, abuse,
and neglect. I have seen many pictures and several movies related to the effects
of the stressors listed above. War is raging all over Africa; some rebels fight
because, they dislike the government and because of limited resources in their
area. Many of the children have witness their mothers being killed, and their
fathers being taken into slavery. Most of the rebel leaders need the strong men
to farm the diamond mines in Africa. The girls are killed and the boys are used
as child soldiers for the rebel army. Those who ran away before the invasion of
the army will not see their family again.
The impact of violence, poverty, abuse, and neglect has a great impact
on the overall well-being of the children of Africa. Most of the survivors are hungry
and left without a place to live. They are not able to attend school because,
they are scattered all over the continent. When the rebels invade, they shoot,
kill, and burn down everything in their path. The children, who are taken into
captivity to be a soldier, are brain washed into thinking that what they are
doing is right (Albertyn ET, al, 2006). Many activist and advocates are fighting for the rights of the land, the people, and the children of Africa.
They strive to create a better environment free from war, guns, and poverty. They
help build schools for learning, and create safe havens for children to come to
eat and rest. They are making great strides, but they will have many more
rounds to fight to make the environment livable for so many displaced children.
References
Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Albertyn, R., Bickler, S. W., Millar AJ, Rode, H. (2006). The effects
of war on children in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12720029
