CHILDHOOD FEARS
ft is often difficult for
I
L>r.
Geoffrey
Nicholl,
us to a
appreciate what is frightening
is an
a
child.
consultant child psychiatrist in Lincolnshire,
explains what children experience
Fear
to
as
fear
of fear may coexist and often the phantasy fear is aroused in the first place by a reality situation. Fears based on the dangers of the real world can be faced and confidence is gained as each fearful situation is conquered, so making it easier to face the next. This outcome can be assisted or delayed by the attitudes of those around the child. For instance, children's fears of the bombing in the last war were more pronounced when those around were frightened and confused. Given confidence by reliable adults, the children were able to face very frightening and dangerous situations. Fears based on the internal conflicts and phantasies more complex associations arise an *he fear are numerous and varied. They are the ones that reaction can be aroused by p antasies are just as real to the child as externa even are likely to lead to problems and symptoms if not is important to see fear as a normal with insight and understanding. To make handled experien and one that is this clearer let us take a few examples of the diffeessential for survival. It is w rent forms of fear. exPerience becomes overwhelming and out o c *r?l that The drawing (2) was produced spontaneously symptoms and problems arise. the early stages of infant development ea by an 8-year-old child with a history of eneuresis a direct response to an external stimulus as (bedwetting). It shows the 'bogey man' at the f'?ned above, but by the age of 2 or 3 the c i window with a knife at his belt with which he is ls about to cut off the child's head. The child is too associating certain objects and simple situa i? as such as dogs or the main road, and by fearful, frightened to move and has made himself very the small in the bed on the right (page 5). age of 5 or 6 is fearful of his own mne The history behind the picture is, in brief, one of a broken family and one in which the father had these early years of rapid developmen !he child is having to come to terms with contiici- physically attacked the mother?often in front of ln? emotions. He can the children. This fear has, then, a reality basis seldom, until about the age of 5, which is now passed, but the inner conflicts regardput these fears and conflicts into words. He maV therefore, have frightening dreams in whicn ing his father and his mixed loyalties frighten him. animals or 'bogey men' represent the alarming Mother is not yet secure enough in herself to enasPects of this turmoil. Later, when he is 7 or o, able him to work out the conflict more openly. e can draw or describe his inner conflicts in e In this drawing there are also oedipal and his wider fears which all children appear to excastration imagery. , We can perience either as a dangerous conflict or a passing distinguish two main forms o illusion depending on their constitutional make-up. First, there are those fears arising By expressing his fear in a drawing this child has reality situation which is new, "nusua , , been able to face it and has, in consequence, found Secondly, there are those fears w arise from internal it less overwhelming because he has shared it with, w or conflicts o feelings, e is and had it accepted by, an understanding adult. largely unconscious. The dread arouse he internal The first drawing is of an octopus or spider conflict may exhibit as anX' ^h;ch is the fear reaction a child's leg. It is the vivid dream of a ( eating prolonged 10-year-old, rather retarded, boy who has found span. It can then become an ]his relationship to his mother rather unstable. Uence, often making action difficult. Bo or inborn defence reaction to and unexpected stimuli and is a mechanism Preparing the body for fight or flight. It increases bareness and alertness, and makes for quic action. As the child grows, his fear reactions are aroused by a widening range of stimu 1. These may begradually fearful in themselves or the resu^ S association with fearful situations. ^ classic conditioned reflex experiments showe ow a child could be made to associate his rabbit with a loud, frightening noise. The raomt then became a fear-producing object in itself.
sudden
P^'n.
s^n
cu
ft is often difficult for
I
L>r.
Geoffrey
Nicholl,
us to a
appreciate what is frightening
is an
a
child.
consultant child psychiatrist in Lincolnshire,
explains what children experience
Fear
to
as
fear
of fear may coexist and often the phantasy fear is aroused in the first place by a reality situation. Fears based on the dangers of the real world can be faced and confidence is gained as each fearful situation is conquered, so making it easier to face the next. This outcome can be assisted or delayed by the attitudes of those around the child. For instance, children's fears of the bombing in the last war were more pronounced when those around were frightened and confused. Given confidence by reliable adults, the children were able to face very frightening and dangerous situations. Fears based on the internal conflicts and phantasies more complex associations arise an *he fear are numerous and varied. They are the ones that reaction can be aroused by p antasies are just as real to the child as externa even are likely to lead to problems and symptoms if not is important to see fear as a normal with insight and understanding. To make handled experien and one that is this clearer let us take a few examples of the diffeessential for survival. It is w rent forms of fear. exPerience becomes overwhelming and out o c *r?l that The drawing (2) was produced spontaneously symptoms and problems arise. the early stages of infant development ea by an 8-year-old child with a history of eneuresis a direct response to an external stimulus as (bedwetting). It shows the 'bogey man' at the f'?ned above, but by the age of 2 or 3 the c i window with a knife at his belt with which he is ls about to cut off the child's head. The child is too associating certain objects and simple situa i? as such as dogs or the main road, and by fearful, frightened to move and has made himself very the small in the bed on the right (page 5). age of 5 or 6 is fearful of his own mne The history behind the picture is, in brief, one of a broken family and one in which the father had these early years of rapid developmen !he child is having to come to terms with contiici- physically attacked the mother?often in front of ln? emotions. He can the children. This fear has, then, a reality basis seldom, until about the age of 5, which is now passed, but the inner conflicts regardput these fears and conflicts into words. He maV therefore, have frightening dreams in whicn ing his father and his mixed loyalties frighten him. animals or 'bogey men' represent the alarming Mother is not yet secure enough in herself to enasPects of this turmoil. Later, when he is 7 or o, able him to work out the conflict more openly. e can draw or describe his inner conflicts in e In this drawing there are also oedipal and his wider fears which all children appear to excastration imagery. , We can perience either as a dangerous conflict or a passing distinguish two main forms o illusion depending on their constitutional make-up. First, there are those fears arising By expressing his fear in a drawing this child has reality situation which is new, "nusua , , been able to face it and has, in consequence, found Secondly, there are those fears w arise from internal it less overwhelming because he has shared it with, w or conflicts o feelings, e is and had it accepted by, an understanding adult. largely unconscious. The dread arouse he internal The first drawing is of an octopus or spider conflict may exhibit as anX' ^h;ch is the fear reaction a child's leg. It is the vivid dream of a ( eating prolonged 10-year-old, rather retarded, boy who has found span. It can then become an ]his relationship to his mother rather unstable. Uence, often making action difficult. Bo or inborn defence reaction to and unexpected stimuli and is a mechanism Preparing the body for fight or flight. It increases bareness and alertness, and makes for quic action. As the child grows, his fear reactions are aroused by a widening range of stimu 1. These may begradually fearful in themselves or the resu^ S association with fearful situations. ^ classic conditioned reflex experiments showe ow a child could be made to associate his rabbit with a loud, frightening noise. The raomt then became a fear-producing object in itself.
sudden
P^'n.
s^n
cu
