Vulnerability is not weakness; vulnerability is a part of life. There is this perception of vulnerability where it is solely based around a person being weak, defenseless, or having no choice in whether one is vulnerable or not. Vulnerability is the opposite. It shows others how brave people can be by them putting themselves out there to show who they are and what they can do. The definition of vulnerability reflects its appearance in life with initially being defined as one being “capable or susceptible to being wounded or hurt,” then goes on to one being “open to moral attack, criticism, [and] temptation” (Dictionary.com, 2017). Throughout most of our lives, vulnerability is present in exposing oneself in a most personal way, regardless of the risk of emotional harm. Author Madeleine L’Engle said, “When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable” (Goodreads, 2017). This quote proves vulnerability is just another feature of life. As children, humans are inherently vulnerable. This type of vulnerability involves being susceptible to physical harm. Imagine a child riding a bicycle for the first time. This child is more prone to injury than a grown adult riding a bicycle a countless number of times. Naturally, children suffer from physical vulnerability, and as people grow older into their teenage years and even further into adulthood, this physical
Factors that may contribute to and individual being more vulnerable of abuse may include, if the individual has a mental disability such as dementia or not have the mental capacity. If the individual is isolated they become more vulnerable. People who have previously been abused, low self-esteem, no sense of worth, people who have substance abuse, old people, children, homeless, people who cannot communicate verbally, medically dependant people.
Some children may have a better disposition/character that may make them gain resilience a little easier, for those that don't have such an 'easy' nature, they may need a little more help to gain pse skills to help them build up their
Vulnerability is often one-dimensionally viewed as the degree to which mishaps, pain and shame are allowed to enter into one’s life. However it is also the birthplace of creativity and basis for a feeling of self-worthiness. Thereby vulnerability creates authenticity. There are various different definitions of vulnerability according to the field in which the term is used. The most commonly found dictionary definition states that “Vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of a person, group, society or system to physical or emotional injury or attack. The term can also refer to a person who let
Living in an environment with limited resources affects vulnerability in many ways. For example, those who are poor are continually faced with multiple risk factors that cause chronic stress, such as unsafe housing, repeated exposure to violence/crime, barriers to health care access (i.e. lack of insurance, lack of transportation, language barriers), and other limitations. Therefore, it is not unusual for an individual or community that is constantly bombarded by stressful situations to become immobilized. “In other words, they do not have the ability to effectively respond to even the
Some individuals are more vulnerable to harm or abuse than others. These are some of the reasons why:
‘’Vulnerability is the quality of being easily hurt or attacked.’’ (Vocab.com) Vulnerable groups in society are the disabled, migrant children or adults, individuals with illnesses, individuals who are abused, and anyone who is subjected to racism.
Social Vulnerability refers to risk as its primary element (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Every individual is exposed to risk factors therefore; everyone is potentially vulnerable to health problems (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Social vulnerability consists of various economic, democratic, and cultural variables in relation to an individual’s likelihood of becoming ill (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). The degree of social vulnerability is that an individual experience is greatly reliant on their personal capacity to tolerate adverse influences (Scanlon & Lee, 2007). Each individual will have different strategies and abilities in coping, resisting, and recovering from situations that could result in social vulnerability (Scanlon & Lee, 2007).
Having to depend on themselves for so long a sense of weakness comes along with asking others for help. “Children witness 68% to 80% of domestic assaults”(secondhand hurt)
Vulnerability is defined as susceptibility or increased risk for health problems (DeChesnay, 2008). A group of individuals are considered at higher risk for illness when their physical, emotional, psychological, or social health, is compromised (Aday, 2001). There are many leading causes for why a population is considered at higher risk; socioeconomic, age, gender, demographics, personal, and cultural backgrounds are some of the key factors (Aday, 2001; Sebation, 1996). Individuals can become vulnerable at any time because of change in life circumstances, placing them at higher risk. One group
A child’s sense of self as separate from the world is formulated early in development. Children exposed to early trauma, especially by a primary care giver, develop a distorted sense of the self, others, and the world. When exposed to trauma, children become overwhelmed and are unable to effectively self-regulate thus leading to a disjointed sense of self. They have a tendency to lose hope and expect that life will be dangerous thus challenging their ability to survive (Terr, 1992). Survival becomes the predominant drive for children exposed to trauma and their focus becomes toward responding and adapting to a potentially threatening environment. Feelings of trust and the sense of self become compromised as resources are allocated toward coping with threats. Traumatized children experience guilt and low self-esteem and perceive themselves as unlovable and unworthy of protection or love (Johnson, 1985, 1987).
There are certain groups of individuals that appear to be most at risk of abuse than others, and therefore more vulnerable. Vulnerable adults can be abused in different ways for different reasons.
The work of Brené Brown about the concept of vulnerability is truly remarkable and her talk about it truly gives a meaningful thought to all of us. With her optimistic view, her long-time experience, her wide knowledge, her simple style of delivery, and her emphasis on the reality, she successfully made her discussion meaningful, inspiring and encouraging to all. From here, she showed to us that vulnerability should be considered as something positive and essential to our everyday
Vulnerability is a weakness is a system that leaves the system open to attacks. Exposure is the known vulnerabilities that make a system weak and open to attacks without protection.
Some young people may be more vulnerable than others and a range of indicators have been highlighted to which
So what exactly is vulnerability? Vulnerability is the state of being capable of being physically or mentally wounded. Everyone has many times where they are vulnerable, but one that stands out for me is when I share my writing.