Stress comes in many forms war, poverty, racism, natural
disaster, isolation, hunger, abuse, neglect, noise, chaos, disease, pollution
and violence. Stress does not discriminate; it does not care if you are two,
thirty-two or sixty-two; worldwide children are affected by stress on a daily
basis. Sometimes stress can be positive,
pushing a three year old to become toilet trained, a six year old to learn to ride
a two wheeled bike, a sixteen year old
to study extra hard to pass that history exam. It helps us meet our next goal,
giving us a shove in the right direction.
Stress also has the opposite effect.
War torn countries struggling with trying to survive and reestablish,
communities trying to rebuild after a natural disaster, countries devastated by
decades of drought unable to feed their people, developing populations fighting
diseases, crime and violence in inner cities, over-population and over-crowding
in families, homes and neighborhoods, no matter where you look the end result
is the same. All of the above items create chaos. Chaos creates negative
stress.
The brain carefully records all this information and
documents social history through neurochemistry. The key players in neurochemistry are
neurotransmitters. They are the chemical
components that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other. A win releases one chemical, being afraid,
bullied and victimized releases another (Bailey, 2000). Because the brain is pattern seeking and
survival oriented, these chemical releases (cortisol, norepinephrine, serotonin,
and dopamine) create patterns and over time hardwires the brain.
Prolonged exposure to these stress hormones (cortisol and norepinephrine)
cause chemical changes in the hippocampus within the limbic system of the brain,
leading to a permanent deficits in
learning and memory, a higher risk of developing depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, hyper-vigilante, or emotionally flat (apathetic), ADHD, as
well as a host physical disorders (Berger, 2012).
Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that regulates
emotional connections in the brain. Too much causes anxiety and
hyper-vigilance, too little causes feeling of hopelessness. Infants and toddlers who are taken care of
well, have their needs met consistently learn that looking and interacting with
others is of value and produces pleasure, conversely children who are left
alone, experience poor quality care, or are degraded learn that ignoring,
shouting and disrupting are valued. These
children learn that acting out gets them the attention they desire and thus the
chemical release they crave. You know
these children; they are the ones who are disruptive in class causing chaos and
disorder; they find comfort in chaos (Bailey, 2000).
Children from homes that are chaotic, abusive, stressful,
tense have lower levels have brains that lower the levels of dopamine in order
to survive, this leads to those hopeless feelings we discussed above. These
feelings of hopelessness are compounded by their parents and teachers lowered
expectations for the child’s behavior, withdraw from academic challenge, lack
of persistence, and general disconnect from peers and pursuit of personal
interests.
In an effort to reengage these children teachers must create
classrooms that are routine and ritual oriented, inclusive and attentive to the
needs of ALL the children enrolled, and create many opportunities for positive
social interactions. The brain functions
optimally when it feels safe, once this happens it sends out a neurotransmitter
transmitter called Serotonin. Serotonin is
the partner to dopamine, while the dopamine helps us focus, serotonin helps
regulate under or over stimulation. Low
levels of serotonin link to aggression; where as high levels associate with obsessive-compulsive
behaviors.
As you see, chaos and stress can lead to a myriad of
problems physically, cognitively, and socially, that left untreated will have a
far-reaching impact on the successes and failures of our children.
References:
Berger, K. S. (2012).The Developing Person Through Childhood
(6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishing
Bailey, B. (2000).
Conscious Discipline: 7 Basic Skills for Brain Smart Classroom Management.
Oviedo, FL: Loving Guidance Inc.
