Understanding Fear
The experience of fear is a completely natural human emotion that arises in certain situations or circumstances perceived as threatening to one’s life in some way. Psychologists define fear as a normal emotional state that prompts individuals to remain cautious and deliberate in their thoughts and actions. This feeling of fear can begin to manifest in humans from the earliest days of life.
Common Causes of Fear in Children
Several factors contribute to fear in children, which include the following:
- Negative parenting practices, where parents frequently employ threats, intimidation, and harsh punishment.
- Exposing children to frightening images or horror films, or recounting scary stories to help them sleep, which is a significant error. Additionally, societal myths created to intimidate children from certain places directly contribute to their fear.
- A lack of love, affection, and care, particularly among orphaned children who have lost one or both parents, as well as children whose parents have separated. This absence does not only generate fear; it can also foster feelings of hatred, resentment, and aggression.
- Influence from others, often referred to by psychologists as “contagious fear.” For instance, if a mother exhibits fear of a particular animal, that fear can be transmitted to the child, even if they were previously unafraid.
- Excessive worry and fear exhibited by parents about their children getting hurt, especially if the mother displays visible panic or distress, can amplify the child’s fear and anxiety, leading to increased tension.
- Being raised in a family environment rife with conflicts and disputes, particularly between parents, can heighten a child’s fear and diminish their self-confidence.
These causes can be either tangible and directly observable, leading to fears of authority figures like police officers or doctors, or intangible, relating to concepts like death or supernatural entities.
Classification of Children Based on Their Fears
Children can be categorized according to their fears as follows:
- Children who exhibit minimal fear due to limited cognitive awareness or lack of attention.
- Children who experience normal, healthy levels of fear.
- Children with excessive or irrational fears, a condition clinically referred to as phobia.