Major stressors for children fall
under the umbrella of more than one social or environmental situation. The topics
I would like to discuss is poverty, isolation, hunger, immigration, chaos and
violence. Some of which I experienced with my great-nephews. My husband and I
currently take care of my great-nephews because they were abandoned by their
parents. Both were exposed to the violence and chaos in their mother and father’s
relationship. Their biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development was compromised
because of these trying situations. They were removed from their parents and
placed with grandparents. This became highly overwhelming for them. In order to
keep them from going to foster care my husband and I agreed to be their
caregivers. I enrolled them in school, acquired tutors to help them catch up to
their grade levels. We take them to therapy once a week to discuss and learn how
to cope with negative feelings and emotions. I keep an open communication with
each of their teachers to ensure a great support system.
Due to the recent immigration laws
in the United States children are being separated from their families. They are
exposed to hunger, loneliness, malnutrition and chaos among other things. Today, people from countries like Guatemala and
Honduras migrate to Mexico for two reasons: first it is safer than their
countries. Due to drug trade, these countries are dangerous and, in some cases,
lawless. Second, the path from Central America to the US is through Mexico.
Children in Mexico are being traumatized due to gang and drug violence. It’s
reported that children witness killings on a daily basis. This year promises to be even bloodier. During
the first few days of 2018 in just the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, nine
people were killed, dismembered and had their body parts stuffed into a van in
the state capital of Xalapa. When children from Mexico are separated from their
families on this side of the border it exposes them to additional stressors. This could cause child maltreatment affecting their biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development sometimes for life. The
only resource noted for children in Mexico was the website, www.dif.gob.mx. I welcome any additional resources
one may have. There are very few resources available in Mexico all the more
reason for the influx of immigrants attempting to enter the United States illegally.
The most one can do is be an advocate for reform on this side of the boarder
for children who are not citizens of the United States.
In the United States we have an organization called, Yell
& Tell saving children’s lives. It is a child safety program focusing on
teaching the child who observes a dangerous situation what to do. However, this
doesn’t explain to the children that abuse can also come to them directly from
a loved one like a family member, friend or parent. Personally, I feel both
Mexico and the United States need to come up with more resources to help children.
NSPCC Learning is an organization that travels around the entire United Kingdom
speaking to children about how to stay safe from abuse and neglect. One of their
campaigns is Speak out Stay safe, a session available to all primary schools in
the United Kingdom. It aims to equip a generation of children with the knowledge
and understanding they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect. Children are
taught to speak out if they are worried, either to a trusted adult or Childline.
This is a great program to have implemented in Mexico and the United States, teaching
what can be done to minimize harm to children.
Resource
