Factors Influencing Child Development

Undoubtedly, there are many contributing personal factors that influence the development of children and young people. A child’s development ultimately starts from conception as the sperm and egg have a nucleus that containing genetic components that begin to make a baby. This unique genetic formula influences a child’s personal development greatly as it can determine if a child’s gender, eye colour and even hair colour.

The health and personal characteristics of a child can be influenced by their mother for instance if they took drugs such as Opioids when pregnant.

Opioids are commonly known as “heroin” are extremely detrimental to the development of children and young people as they not only delay a children’s development, they can also impair their development. By a mother taking opioids’ when pregnant the child may not develop cognitively as opioid’s decreased oxygen and nutrients to the placenta. Lack of oxygen and nutrients impairs the brain's ability to develop, this, in turn, may lead to the child developing learning difficulties.

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Other personal factors that influence a child and young person’s development materialize later in a child’s life such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or referred to as ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD is a behavioural disorder that affects the child’s inability to control their impulses. This disorder can affect many aspects of a child’s development especially their social and emotional development as may find it difficult to participate in group play. Due to their inability to pay attention for long periods of time, as children with ADHD tend to talk excessively and are unable to wait for their turn during times of play.

This can postpone the social and emotional development of children and young people, as children may not want to include them in games. In turn this can lead to children and young people developing social and emotional anxiety due to fear of rejection also depression and lack self- confidence within themselves.

A child and young person’s home circumstances is a contributing personal factor that can affect their development especially if they have been a victim of neglect. Neglect can influence all aspects of a child’s young person’s development. Children and young peoples can suffer emotional/ social development delays as they find it hard to form relationships with their peer’s groups as they were given no emotional support, encouragement or security throughout their childhood.

In addition, they are unable to develop the necessary skills on how to conduct themselves in social situations. For example, a young person may be invited for a sleepover but would decline the offer, as they sleep with the light on due to a fear of the dark which stems from being left alone within the early years of their childhood. This personal factor influences development as it not only hinders the ability to form friendships it also stops the child’s ability to develop emotionally and shows affection to others as they did not receive affection growing up.