I have encountered many people that have experienced a disease, poverty, hunger, violence and racism. My family members have shared many stories of racism they have witnesses and experienced as children themselves. I have a close friend that experienced poverty when he was younger by not having a stable home; living in hotels and shelters. This child was still able to attend school daily and did very well. His mother was struggling with a disease, she was an alcoholic along with being a single parent. The child was placed in a solid home with extended family and is now thriving in high school. I also know of someone that experienced violence in his home as a child. Unfortunately, his mother was involved with someone that was verbally and physically abusive. In which he also experienced not having too much to eat at times as a child. His mother was able to get away from the abuse and start over for her and her children. I believe that this has affected this person as an adult.
 

For anyone that has experienced racism, poverty, disease, hunger and violence; these are extreme stressors that will affect them as adults. It can affect their own relationships and their view of the world around them. The coping strategies that they expressed to me as children consisted of wanting to please their parent by being a good child; avoiding the abuse and not wanting their mothers worry about them. I feel that they have learned to internalize their feelings, letting them out in an unhealthy way.

All of these stressors effect children and follow them in adulthood; a lot of times they carry these experiences in to relationships. I believe that these stressors affect their bodies in terms of the nutrition that they are consuming; in which will have a profound affect their brain development. In some cases, children that witness abuse can become abused themselves resulting in death. According to Berger, Canada has a fewer rate of children dying from violence than the U.S and in all of the nation’s children are dying from accidents more than anything else (Berger, The Developing Person through Childhood, pg.242).

 

References:

Berger, The Developing Person through Childhood, pg.242