As I was thinking about this particular blog assignment, my own Kinder students came to mind. Poverty and hunger are daily stressors for them. Sometimes my neediest will begin stealing food from the cafeteria or from the daily breakfast that is provided for all students. Right or wrong, I turn a blind eye as I know that they do not have enough food at home. One specific example of poverty and the effects on children would be one from just last week. A child in my room has been tardy or absent every day for the past 3 weeks. He has been extremely lethargic and he is exhibiting aggressive behavior towards his peers. I was discussing my concern about his behavior with my colleagues and explained that I suspected something had changed at home. Come to find out, it indeed had. There is currently no electricity or water in their home. It is chilly and the child has not been able to sleep, therefore making him tired and cranky. His stress level is so high and he is expressing this through his aggressive behaviors in and outside of the classroom. I immediately made some calls to try and connect the family with resources that my help them through this difficult time.
I decided to look at the effect of stressors on children in Mexico since that is where a large majority of my students come from. I found that 61% children have seen or been victims of political or domestic violence. This seemed like an alarmingly high percentage. When these children are exposed to the violence, it has been found that they are likely to experience post traumatic stress syndrome and at a higher risk for an increased amount of physical ailments. This is the part of the program and research that is not fun. :( Having to inform and keep myself informed on the negative aspects of child development is heart wrenching but necessary.
Resources:
McCloskey, L. A., Fernández-Esquer, M. E., Southwick, K. and Locke, C. (1995), The psychological effects of political and domestic violence on Central American and Mexican immigrant mothers and children. Journal of Community Psychology, 23: 95–115.
