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Early Fear Research Paper

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Fear-triggering events can have long-lasting and significant changes on the developing child, beginning with infancy. Research shows that very young infants can learn to fear people, certain places and events. Science has also proved that young children can sense a threat in their environment, but unlike adults they do not have the physical or cognitive ability to control their psychological response nor to remove themselves from a dangerous situation or to lessen the threat. Learned fear responses may disrupt the function of the stress response system. It could make it harder for the body to react to typical everyday stress. Normal situations and circumstances can cause outcomes that are harmful to a child’s development when a fear is learned. Children do not …show more content…

Learned fear and memories that occur early in a child’s life get built into their brain structure and do not change with age. Persistent fear and unreasonable threats during children’s developmental growth, may develop unhealthy patterns of fear, stress and anxiety. This fear and anxiety will not naturally disappear over time. Removing a child from a dangerous environment will not reverse the serious consequences or change the negative impacts of early fear learning, but there is no doubt that a child in harm’s way should be removed from that situation. However, only moving a child out of danger does not reverse or change the way a fear has been learned. The child remembers the learned fear and anxiety. These memories and thoughts are sufficient to sustain ongoing fears and make a child anxious. Science demonstrates that these fears and anxieties requires active work and treatment. Children who have been traumatized need to be in safe and secure environment that can bring back their sense of predictability, control and safety. Interventions are needed to help children in these situations. It is crucial to note that communities need to work together to diminish the sources of fear

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