The Impact of Family Violence on Relationships Chapter 4

“Children exposed to violence have histories of relationship failures that result in a generalized distrust of adults. Consequently, they have difficulty engaging in positive interactions with teachers.”

What We Know Children’s early attachments have a great deal of influence on their cognitive ability and learning style.

When a caregiver provides a child with predictable and consistent care, the child becomes attached to them. Children use caregiver support and encouragement to regulate behavior and meet their needs. It is a safety factor for children and they feel more secure in the protection of a caring attachment relationship.

Patterns of Attachment Secure – The more in tune the caregiver is with the child’s needs, the more secure the child feels Insecure – Unresponsive caregivers fault the development of self-awareness in the child Avoidant/resistant – Chronic lapses in consistent care; children become detached or overwhelmed by their emotions

 Provide children with consistency  Create routines to teach children to take care of each other and themselves  Ask children what they need to complete an activity/assignment  Frequently address children by name  Provide opportunities to experience themselves as an important part of the classroom  Give daily positive feedback What You Can Do - Strategies

 Disorganized/disoriented – Occurs among children who are maltreated or whose mother’s report high levels of domestic abuse; may engage in self- destructive behavior; may be lonely Patterns of Attachment (cont.)

 Ability for child to develop to full potential weighs heavily on quality and support of primary caregiver  Attachment relationships that display abuse or neglect negatively influence early organization of the brain’s right hemisphere  Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems result Attachment and Child Development

 A child’s ability to regulate stress is dependent on successful experiences of coregulation in the caregiver  Consistent positive interactions between caregiver and child accelerate the maturation of the right hemisphere  Right hemisphere – responsible for emotional regulation in the brain Right Hemisphere Maturation

 Traumatic memories affect social/emotional interactions  Caregiver’s inability to provide protection makes children alert for danger  To maintain caregiver connection, children will mirror preferences of caregiver  Self-differentiation is dangerous and avoided  Trauma costs children a sense of connection to themselves and others  Isolation, alienation, despair Social Boundaries

 Picture taking of self and individual children working together  Teach children to use brain to monitor physical reactions  Lend children an emotional helping hand  Use positive behavior support to help children participate  Teach children to reflect on emotional experiences, their own and others’  Let children observe how you feel about your relationships and correcting misunderstandings (relationship repair) What You Can Do - Strategies

 Positive relationships with teachers can ease the effects of a difficult home  Connections and instruction in the classroom are a valuable resource to overcome effects of a difficult home Classrooms as Safe Havens

 Take care of yourself  Ask students how they’re doing  Use music and predictable routines  Create a sense of belonging through rituals  Use social stories and role-playing  Never shame/embarrass  Warn children early on of changes that will occur in the daily schedule What You Can Do - Strategies