Introduction
In their book: “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog,” Perry and Szalavitz (2017) argue that a person’s natural progression of mind and character is essential to being human. Though adults may take special care of a kid like Sandy, who they label as ‘problematic,’ her engagement with and acceptance by her peers is crucial to her development and will have far-reaching consequences on her life. A healthy brain is essential for the realization that one can choose to live a life free of fear despite having endured trauma in the past. Children who have experienced trauma should receive mental and psychological assistance from their caregivers.
Children’s Brains and Early Trauma
From infancy until early adulthood, the human body expands fairly linearly. However, there is a notable difference in the pattern of physical brain development. Brain development is exponential from birth to age 4, with the most rapid growth occurring throughout the first three years of life. A four-year-old’s brain is already 90% the size of an adult’s. During this phase, the brain’s most important neural networks develop physically. The organizing brain is malleable and susceptible during this stage since events actively shape it (Dye, 2018). Safe, predictable, caring, and repetitious experiences aid in expressing a child’s spectrum of genetic potentials throughout this crucial developmental period. Unfortunately, this is also when the developing brain is most susceptible to the harmful effects of stress. Sandy was too young to have done much to prevent the incident. To recover, she needed to retrain her brain’s response to that trauma, which left her helpless. Because human beings are inherently social creatures, even the worst disasters, like Sandy’s, that can affect young children involve the loss of relationships. Recovering from abuse and neglect necessitates starting afresh in trust, confidence, security, and love.
Effects on Behaviors and Relationships
Sandy sobbed over her mother as she lost her life. Both her throat and that of her mother had been sliced. Sandy has difficulty getting over the trauma she experienced due to her circumstances. Finding out that the persons entrusted with Sandy’s care had no idea of her background was unsettling. Isolation starts and the child’s social life suffers greatly due to her trauma as a youngster. Fear of being an eyewitness before a large group of people makes the situation direr. If the court discredits her testimony, it might cause a catastrophic failure of her psychological health. Sandy’s reaction to Dr. Perry’s first interaction shows how wary she is of unfamiliar adults. If left untreated, a child’s traumatic experiences can cause her to suffer from depression for a long time (Choi et al., 2020). Several times, Sandy had Dr. Perry assume the role of her late mother as she relived the traumatic event. As a result, her mind develops a tolerance for recollecting her ordeal. That way, she might react to triggers like knives, milk, or the doorbell ringing with mistrust rather than anger or dissociation.
Secondary Adversities
Sandy was hesitant to let Dr. Perry into her comfort zone on their first encounter. Since she had recently witnessed the murder of her mother, she remained wary of strangers, particularly men. Since she recognized the perpetrator, she worried that she would be placed in a witness protection program or other types of foster care because of her testimony. Treating children who have experienced trauma calls for a soothing and private psychiatric environment. Understanding the new vision of males was a game-changer for Sandy, and that is why she confided in Dr. Perry about her struggles at last. She revealed her true feelings about the incident, admitting that she is terrified of dangerous men with blades. Many youngsters are left to deal with traumatic experiences alone because of a lack of compassion and an appropriate therapeutic approach to assist them in making up for lost ground. Sandy’s closeness to Dr. Perry exemplifies how he earned her trust and encouraged her to share (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). Sandy’s experience demonstrates how trauma in childhood harms children and how difficult it is to develop the ability to overcome sorrow.
Impact of Social Environment
In a perfect setting, there is no or very little crime, people get along with one another, the scenery and architecture of the homes are attractive, and everyone generally seems content with their lives. Perhaps nothing is worse for a child than growing up in a community like Sandy’s, where consistent care is disrupted by violence and legal proceedings. For optimal brain development, a baby requires consistent, repetitive stimulation; otherwise, the baby’s stress system will remain on high alert. Sandy had an awful prior experience connecting social interaction with reduced anxiety. Her love and attention-seeking tactics were harsh and hostile. Sandy is relocated from one foster home to another for nine months following the terrible encounter, and the information about her encounters is not disclosed to adoptive carers. Because she has recognized the culprit, the perpetrator’s gang has threatened her. Now four years old, Sandy is required to testify in the lawsuit (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). Play therapy helped her cope with her trauma and begin the healing process. Sandy had a happy, successful life despite her traumatic upbringing due to continued counseling and support.
Conclusion
The ability to live a fear-free life despite one’s history of trauma requires a properly functioning brain. Caretakers should provide emotional and psychological support for children who have endured trauma. Traumatized children need to be treated in a psychiatric setting that is safe and comfortable for them. Many young children are forced to deal with traumatic situations independently due to a lack of the right therapeutic approach. Sandy overcame the difficulties of her childhood with the help of therapy and encouragement.
References
Choi, K. R., Stewart, T., Fein, E., McCreary, M., Kenan, K. N., Davies, J. D., Naureckas, S., & Zima, B. T. (2020). The impact of attachment-disrupting adverse childhood experiences on child behavioral health.The Journal of Pediatrics, 221, 224-229. Web.
Dye, H. (2018). The impact and long-term effects of childhood trauma.Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(3), 381-392. Web.
Perry, B., & Szalavitz, M. (2017). The boy who was raised as a dog and other stories from a child psychiatrist’s notebook: What traumatized children can teach us about loss, love, and healing. Basic Books.