Tuesday, March 20, 2012

~ STRESS on CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT~

I have a friend from New Orleans, Louisiana. She move to my home town after the Katrina Disaster. She has two children who were not coping with the disaster at all. It affect them a lot. Delois move was the best move for her and the girls. The girls really enjoy being in a new place. They adjusted very well in school, outside of school, in their community, and the church they have became members of.

Delois mentioned to me that most residents of metro New Orleans were unaware of the potential destruction of Katrina until Saturday August 28, less than 48 hours before it struck. In New Orleans violent tropical storms are routine and hurricanes are a seasonal reminder of the power of “mother nature.”  Delois also stated as a resident of the city I have often been faced with a choice of whether or not to evacuate, always judging whether this would be the fabled “big one.”

Indeed it was. Delois managed to maintain in a new state and stay on top.Looking at this disaster one cannot ignore the ecological component. New Orleans, like many major cities, was built in a place that posed danger, but environmental problems of global warming and coastal erosion have exacerbated the precariousness of the city.Marshes and wetlands help to slow a hurricane’s effect as it approaches the city. But erosion has diminished the size and ability of the coastal marsh and swamp to absorb the hurricane’s force. Coastal erosion has two important causes.One is that the once rich river silt that built the delta is now being directed to deep waters off the continental shelf to allow for easy river navigation. The second is salt water intrusion from canals built for oil and natural gas drilling and pipeline needs.
Many children are experiencing these same type of disaster in Missouri as well. I think all children that experience any type of disaster is affected biosocial,cognitive, and psychosocial. This will be with them a life time. They will always be able to recall that moment in time.

The Developing Person Through Childhood
Chapter 8 Early Childhood : Bisocial Development
Chapter 9 Early Childhood:  Cognitive Development
Chapter 10 Early Childhood: Psychosocial Development

1 comment:

  1. Hi Tomekia,

    Joplin Missouri where the tornadoes tore up the area was really close to where I grew up. I played basketball there as a teenager. The children from both those areas have gone through a lot. Your friend was lucky that she was able to move to a place that helped her children cope. A lot of children were not that lucky. I hope that they are getting some kind of support.

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