Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

I remember working with this beautiful 7 year old girl a few years back.  She was placed in foster care due to abuse by her mother.   The child was exceptionally smart for her age.  She would cry if she felt she done something wrong or something that she felt others would not be please with.  For example she was in the foster parent’s house and she asked the foster parent could she help make the bed.  She assisted the foster parent but then she began to cry uncontrollably.

We later figured that she was only trying to please the foster parent and she was afraid that if the foster parent was not happy then she would be reprimanded by getting a beating like her mother would give her.    She began receiving outpatient therapy and intensive in home services.  During these services she was taught coping skills to learn how to deal with her feelings of anxiety.  After several months of treatment her demeanor began to change and she was more unafraid. 

I did research on Child abuse and child exploitation in China.  The country is now addressing emerging dangers to children, such as: violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking.  Violence against children encompasses physical, emotional, psychological and sexual mistreatment, as well as neglect. Globally, as well as in China, this problem often remains hidden because families tend to view violence against children as a “private issue.” Violence against children may also be considered acceptable. Parents and teachers may justify physical and verbal abuse as forms of discipline, but such violence actually harms children's development and lessens their ability to contribute to society.

Trafficking in children is widely recognized as abuse and exploitation. Both domestically and internationally, trafficking in children is on the rise. Demand for illegal adoptions, marriages, or sex workers drive this exploitation.  Better domestic laws are necessary to protect children, including clearer legal definitions of violence against children and reporting requirements. Relevant government and social organizations need to coordinate more effectively to provide timely help to child victims.

(United Nations Children's Fund) UNICEF collaborates with partners to prevent and respond to violence against children, and to stop child trafficking.  The goal is to identify at-risk children, and to strengthen the protection and care available to them by supporting policies and community services that build a comprehensive national child protection system.  UNICEF assists efforts to improve national laws and policies, including the proposed Law on Family Violence.