Impacts On Early Emotional Development

            I chose to focus on the East Asia and the Pacific region of the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.  I chose this region in lite of my own heritage and culture and the desire to know more about early childhood programs and challenges in a country other than the United States curious to find not only commonalities, but also differences.  Some of the challenges children face in this region are schools being attacked and used for military purposes, malnutrition and its correlation to HIV, natural disasters (such as earthquakes) and under aged marriage (UNICEF, n.d.). 

Children that lose their school because of military conflict often lose the sense of normalcy that the school environment and community provide (UNICEF, n.d.).  According to UNICEF (n.d.) schools are seen as safe sanctuaries for children and their families, a place to learn and grow.  This feeling of security is taken from these children and families in times of conflict, often leaving children without a safe environment or alternative environment to learn and grow (UNICEF, n.d.).  Natural disasters also destroy schools and communities leaving children and families with a safe haven to learn and grow.

Many families arrange marriages for their under age daughters to avoid other risk factors like rape and to provide protection against this horrible act, to avoid pregnancy outside of marriage, and for economic necessity (UNICEF, n.d.).  Despite these concerns underage marriage curbs rights to education and does not stop under age pregnancy, which is a huge health risk for many girls under seventeen years of age (UNICEF, n.d.).  Many laws have been instituted to ensure rights to education and discourage marriage to a minor, whether a girl or boy, but they have not completely alleviated the problem. 

I know that there are many children all over the world and in the United States that have been robbed of a safe place to learn and grow.  I am happy that there are organizations like UNICEF that provide relief and safe places to repair (and at times temporarily) what has been lost.  I am saddened that any child should experience such challenges at such an early age.  I think this realization has only renewed my passion as an early childhood professional and my awareness of some of the challenges the children I work with and will work with may face.

References

UNICEF (n.d.). UNICEF - UNICEF East Asia and Pacific. Retrieved August 17, 2013, from

http://www.unicef.org/eapro/