Reaction Paper #2

docx

School

Vernon College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

2314

Subject

Psychology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by CorporalFog7906

The effects of child abuse on preschool children's play From: Australian Journal of Early Childhood (Vol. 24, Issue 2) Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd. (UK) Summary: Play is an essential way for preschool aged children to have normal development and well-being. Play is recognized as being an important part of self-expression. This is inherently important because children in preschool years are still developing language skills and a since of self. These vital learning experiences can be devastatingly affected by the presence of abuse in a child's home. While it is understood that play is extremely important for young minds, there is an alarmingly low rate of research on child abuse and play with in preschool age children. Early childhood educators are the first line of defense for preschool children since they are typically the first adults outside of the home a child has interactment with. This is especially true with children of abuse since most children from abusive homes find themselves in preschools, daycares, and other early education options. Early educators are not always properly trained on how to spot signs of abuse with young children which can be detrimental in helping the preschooler. Early educators are not always informed about the child's experience of abuse up front, and they must watch for signs of abuse from how the children play. Therapeutic services are also not usually readily available for abused children and their families. This can cause the early childhood professional to have to manage the developmental and educational needs of a child who may exhibit a range of incredibly challenging abuse-related behavioral disturbances and developmental problems. Most often this is done without professional

support, expert advice, or prior experience dealing with the challenges connected with the management of the young, abused child. Young children in homes of chronic abuse or neglectful homes tend to have restricted opportunities and experiences with play. With unpredictable violence and inconsistent parental care this will severely limit a child's developmental skills and appropriate social skills. Each child's experience of abuse is different; therefore, each individual child is likely to show vastly different manifestations of emotional or behavioral disturbance in their play. The physically abused or neglected child is more likely to show delayed language, cognitive, and motor development, and consequently, delayed play skills. Clinical observations of abused preschoolers, for example, show them less able to make full use of play materials. Physically abused preschoolers are found to have fewer imaginative or dramatic play elements. Abused children also showed more aggressive themes of conflict and chaos while playing with sand in a study. The abused child in an early childhood setting may be present as continuously `hypervigilant', constantly monitoring their social and physical environment. When a child is hypervigilant, this not only absorbs their play attention it also dampens their curiosity, as they are constantly monitoring the verbal and non-verbal cues of others in their environment. Feeling safe is the most basic prerequisite for a child to engage in play. If the child does not feel safe, they will not play but will maintain a prominent level of distrust and wariness, especially in social play settings. Attachment theory-inspired research shows that abusive mothers are less likely to give positive reinforcement to their children when they play, because of the dysfunctional or neglectful parent-child relationship, the child is unable to develop secure early

attachments, which is likely to affect how the child responds to other adults in his/her social play environment. Reaction: When reading this article, I was mildly shocked to find there are few studies on how abuse affects the minds of preschoolers and how they play. Since my current career focuses on working with children in foster care, I see quite a few young children going through many types of abuse. Even with my older children I can see how the abuse in their preschool age has affected even how they deal with others and how they play as teenagers. This article states how children of abuse tend to be more aggressive in play, such as smashing a Play-Doh building, they just build or slamming cars into each other over and over. When a child of non-violent homes sees this behavior, it can be concerning to them, and they wonder “what is wrong” with the abused child. When looking at daycares and early childhood educators they are needed to play the first line of defense for these young minds. In today's world many parents are worried about sending their children to daycare or preschool due to fears of professionals abusing their children. This brings up a concern whether early childhood educators are being trained properly? Do they care about the children in their class, or is it just a job? How do we monitor the classrooms and make sure the teachers are providing safe spaces for these children? I worry that not enough educators care or they feel they are” too busy” to report the abuse to help provide for that child. Educators can also help with beginning to teach these children how to play with each other, gently correcting aggressive behavior and showing these young minds how to differ from the environment they come from. There are also limited resources available for families of abuse

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

which can cause greater delays for the preschooler and give greater risk of abuse continuing. I believe if we had more readily available resources that many adult victims of abuse would be able to get themselves and their children to safety, meaning the cycle of abuse can begin to heal. This gives the preschool age child a chance to begin to learn proper play so they can catch up to their age group developmentally and heal from the trauma the abuse has caused. I believe we need to be willing to speak up and protect those young individuals, so they have a chance at a better life than our generation had. Abuse can be a revolving door and it is time to lock it shut and board it up. References Cooper, R., & Sutton, K. (1999). The effects of child abuse on preschool children's play. Australian Journal of Early Childhood , 24 (2), 10. https://link-gale- com.authorize.vernoncollege.edu:2443/apps/doc/A55198477/PPPC? u=txshracd2625&sid=bookmark-PPPC&xid=365067f3

Related Documents

CRE2.docx

Psychology Quiz Review.pdf

FinalPaper_Martha Ramsey (1).docx

Draft (1).docx

Discussion 1 .docx

ANSWER- BONUS -OP[TICAL ILUSION.docx

Chapter 14 Abnormal Psychology1.pdf

PSYC 201W - Assignment 4.docx

Unit 8 Discussion 1 & 2.docx

Unit 5 Discussion 1 & 2.docx

Unit 7 Discussion 1.docx

Unit 1 Discussion 1 & 2.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780134477961

Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White

Publisher:PEARSON

Cognitive Psychology

Psychology

ISBN:9781337408271

Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.

Publisher:Cengage Learning,

Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...

Psychology

ISBN:9781337565691

Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780393265156

Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...

Psychology

ISBN:9781285763880

Author:E. Bruce Goldstein

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)

Psychology

ISBN:9781305652958

Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz

Publisher:Cengage Learning

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780134477961
Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White
Publisher:PEARSON
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology
ISBN:9781337408271
Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.
Publisher:Cengage Learning,
Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...
Psychology
ISBN:9781337565691
Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780393265156
Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...
Psychology
ISBN:9781285763880
Author:E. Bruce Goldstein
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)
Psychology
ISBN:9781305652958
Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz
Publisher:Cengage Learning