by Kiana Izadi

Part 1:

Emotional maturity refers to a child’s ability to comprehend and control how they react emotionally to different types of events (EDI BC, 2019). Emotional maturity has sub scales in which are taken into consideration as follow aggressive behaviour, hyperactive and inattentive behaviour, anxious and afraid behaviour, and finally prosocial and helping behaviour (EDI BC, 2019). These emotional responses of children have been studied by researchers to comprehend the variety amongst people, to further enhance their understanding of emotional maturity. Therefore, developing the ability to control one’s emotions at a young age will be beneficial.

Environmental and genetic factors are a big contributing factor to the emotional vulnerability children have. A child’s environment within the womb might influence their developmental results even before birth, as teratogens are environmental elements that affect unborn children during the pregnancy (Berk, 2020). As people are a product of both their genetic makeup and their surroundings, children’s emotional responses to stimuli vary widely. With time and new experiences, children’s emotional responses may develop or change as they get older. Even though the prenatal environment is significantly more consistent than the world outside the womb, the embryo and baby can be affected by a variety of circumstances (Berk & Meyers, 2020). Teratogens have different effects vary according to the age of the organism at the period of exposure (Berk & Meyers, 202). The child is seen as developing within a complex system of relationships that is influenced by several levels of the environment in ecological systems theory. Because a child’s biologically driven tendencies interact with environmental influences on shape development, Bronfenbrenner saw the environment as a collection of interconnected, layered structures that work together to build a complicated functional whole, or system (Berk & Meyers, 2020). Researchers looking into anger have accumulated theories and data about the causes of anger, or sites of anger provocation.

 These frequently entail social interactions that elicit feelings of irritation or challenges to one’s identity, fairness in social exchanges and interactions, personal competency, and close relationships (Shieman, 1999). Although kids in their early stages of competence will not be dealing with these concerns, the most common sources of irritation and rage are work related issues and romantic relationships. Furthermore, equity theory implies that when people give more than they receive in return, they will become angered. For many people, marriage represents the highest emotional highs and lowest emotional lows they have encountered in their adult lives. Work and family domains, when considered combined, present potential for dissatisfactions, injustices, excessive demands, time constraints, and unfavorable emotional exchanges (Shieman, 1999). People face maturity level shifts in job and family duties throughout their lives. For example, if a child is asked to help clean the house they may be assigned to vacuum or tidy up their shoes. As a result, the locations of anger provocation incorporated within job and home duties may be structured by age as well (Shieman, 1999).

Part 2:

The EDI data gathered from the Burnaby Lake School District neighbourhood in Burnaby (SD41) showed Burnaby’s vulnerability rate in Wave 6 33% and 35% in Wave 7 (Wave 7 Community Profile, 2019). For this time span, there is no discernible change in childhood developmental vulnerability (Wave 7 Community Profile, 2019). In Wave 2, 33% of children were vulnerable, and in Wave 7, 35% were vulnerable. For this time span, there is no discernible change in childhood developmental vulnerability (Wave 7 Community Profile, 2019).

Part 3:

There are a variety of techniques for children to be resilient and adjust to situations that endanger their growth. Warm and supportive adult relationships, as well as community opportunities, are two methods to foster resilience (Berk, 2020). Adult interactions that create the warmth and social support that may be lacking in a child’s upbringing, having a trusted individual who bring support can set the child for success in resolving their personal challenges (Berk, 2020). When poor situations add on to another for children the rate of maladjustment rises, which in then raises the likelihood of violence and mental health problems to appear (Berk, 2020).

 Therefore, a warm environment reduces that risk. Furthermore, children that exhibit aggressive behaviours can engage in team sports in which those acts of anger can be taken out in a healthy form for example, with boxing punching the punching bag instead of a person, these sports aid to lessen behavioural issues and learn the art of patience at an early age. For example, patience is a key factor with team sports such as volleyball as all members need to contribute to get the ball over the net and patience needs to be present. Children will learn how to control their emotions and channel their bad sentiments in a more positive and socially acceptable way by engaging in these activities.

Although, emotional maturity is one that is deeply affected by both genes and the environment, there are ways to go around it to alter those aggressions one may perceive. As mentioned, sports are a great way to take out anger and practice patience all together. Having these interactions early on in childhood will lead to benefits in adulthood.

References

Berk, L. E. (2020). Infants and Children (9th Edition). Pearson Education (US).

Human Early Learning Partnership. EDI BC. Early Development Instrument British Columbia, 2016-2019 Wave 7 provincial report. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health; 2019 Nov. http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/media/edibc_ wave7_2019_provincialreport.pdf

Human Early Learning Partnership. Early Development Instrument [EDI] report. Wave 7 Community Profile, 2019. Burnaby School District (SD41). Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health;February 2020. Available from: http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/media/edi_w7_ communityprofiles/edi_w7_communityprofile_sd_41.pdf

Schieman, S. (1999). Age and Anger. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40(3), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.2307/2676352