Violence
The topic of violence is a stressor that is very common but one that many children keep secret from others. I will share the story of a child who exprienced violence and the effect it had on him. This child came from a family that had damaging habits going on such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and the family inturn regected the child . To find some sort of place of belonging the child joined a sporting activity at school, thinking that for sure his family would be proud of him; when the child saw that his attempts to gain acceptance form his family was not working, he began to act out to the violence around him. The child began to vandilize property and went even as far as setting fire to the front yard. This childs failed attempts and exposure to the violence around him harmed his so psychologically that years later he began to drink, do drugs, fight others, this landed him in prison for many years. Although, this story is not a positive one I find it interseting that he choose to deal with his stress by doing the very things that caused him the stress in the begining.
Stressors of children in Latin America
In Latin America there are many stressors that children face: no access to health care or education, homelessness, poverty, and violence. There are a number of children who live on the streets that experience violence, but according to the organization Children of latin America the children who experience violence on the streets have experienced it within the home. These children who live on the street have been counted out by the society they live in and "violent and punitive" measures, according to the organiztion, have been taken against them to remove them from the streets in the past. The Children of Latin America organiztion is taking measure to restore children to their families and then begin working with the families by giving supports to the families in an attempt to end the violence that is occouring.
Ref.
Childrenoflatinamerica.org
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI have a relative that didn't take the violence approach but she still turned out like her mother, even though my mother practically raised her. She chooses not to do anything with her life. She doesn't work or attend school. She find ways to play the system and hustle others to meet her needs. On top of that, she chose to bring two children into the world. For the life of me, I don't understand how she would want to follow in her mother's footsteps or have children knowing she can't take care of herself. So, it is sad to see someone chose the very thing that hurt them.
I was raised in the beginning with an alcoholic and drug user in the house. By the time I was 14 I had figured out what he was doing and what he had been doing all of my life. Needless to say, I will never be anything like him. I see him once a year if he shows up to my Grandma's house for Christmas. My mother was always a much stronger and more positive influence on my life. I have always been told it is in my genes however, I refuse for that to be an excuse.
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me to hear how children go through so much in their lives. They don't have a real support system that will guide them the right way. However, some kids do things to get attention. Not only do things to get atention but be seeking out for love.
ReplyDeleteYour post is very true. When a child has gone through violence in their own home and have seen so much, they will use the same violence on someone too. They tend to have so much anger build up inside of them. I knew of a child that saw his dad abuse his mom and he thought that it was okay for him to do the same to his girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteOften times we can only cry for help in the ways that we know. All he knew as the drugs and other things. It is so hard sometimes to break those generational curses.
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