DEP 4005 Christine Ruva

Developmental Psychology

Time to Grow (PBS Special)

A Conspiracy of factors

· no one thing causes child abuse

· often depends on the balance between the needs of the parents and the needs of the child

Bouncing Back (from physical abuse)

toddlers

· the egocentric perspective leads toddlers to blame themselves for the things that happen to them

early/middle childhood

· with the decline of egocentrism, the child may begin to see other agents and realize that it's not them: instead, they may begin to wonder what's wrong with the other person

adolescence

· a developed sense of independence and autonomy enables them to be more resilient against outside things that are happening, and are able to say, "It has nothing to do with me."

· resilience at all ages depends on the positive support of an adult

· It can be the case that the parent(s) are okay, but the neighborhood experience is an abusive one, with violence and criminal acts depicted daily

· In families with 7‑8 risk factors for abusive situations, researchers find NO resilient children.

Picking up the Pieces (after sexual abuse)

· The child has to adapt to the abuse and believe that it is a necessary part of life

· abused children who begin to act out sexual with other children are called abusive reactive

· empathy is the child’s ability to feel what other people feel (removes them from egocentrism)

the major impact of sexual abuse is emotional; self‑hate, self‑loathing, and general negative self-image can persist for a lifetime. Adults in their 30's and 40's may be dealing with something that happened to them when they were three.

Alone in the World (neglect)

· Children in Rumanian orphanage lay passive in their cribs, no noise, crying, smiling, etc. They were fed and changed when the bottles and diapers carne around ‑‑‑ not when they were hungry or wet, so they learned that nothing they did mattered.

· The feeling of being alone in the world is abandonment

· victims of neglect will have normal receptive language skills for their age (due to radio or especially television), but will be delayed in their expressive language skills because they have had little opportunity and/or encouragement to actively use language

Tyler, Dominic, and Beckv

Tyler - stable middle class household

Dominic ‑ stable household emphasizing importance of ethnic traditions

Becky ‑ low income, single mom household

· during the toddler years children take their first steps toward autonomy and independence

· stable environment is very important in toddlerhood

Factors that negatively affect toddler development:

· stress of parents

· lack of support of extended family

· low income

· malnutrition sometimes occurs in low income families due to lack of access to food; children may not be as tall as they should be, and their muscles may not develop appropriately