For Teachers
From the National Dropout Prevention Center , Clemson University
The National Dropout Prevention Center would like to let you
know about a new publication that has been recently added to our
resource list. Throughout your school year we would like to encourage
you to take advantage of this wonderful resource as a tool to help you
in your work with students. All of our resources can be ordered through
our web site at
www.dropoutprevention.org or by clicking below. Our newest
publication is:
The Principal's Role in Dropout Prevention: Seven Key Principles
by Steven W. Edwards and Rebecca Edwards
The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health
across the Lifespan
Jennifer S. Middlebrooks,.Natalie C.
Audage
Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention 2008
Available online PDF [18p.] at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/Childhood_Stress.pdf
Stress is an inevitable part of life. Human beings experience stress
early, even before they are born. A certain amount of stress is normal
and necessary for survival. Stress helps children develop the skills
they need to cope with and adapt to new and potentially threatening
situations throughout life. Support from parents and/or other concerned
care givers is necessary for children to learn how to respond to stress
in a physically and emotion-ally healthy manner.
The beneficial aspects of stress diminish when it is severe enough to
over-whelm a child's ability to cope effectively. Intensive and
prolonged stress can lead to a variety of short- and long-term negative
health effects. It can disrupt early brain development and compromise
functioning of the nervous and immune systems. In addition, childhood
stress can lead to health problems later in life including alcoholism,
depression, eating disorders, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic
diseases.
The purpose of this publication is to summarize the research on
childhood stress and its implications for adult health and well-being.
Of particular interest is the stress caused by child abuse, neglect, and
repeated exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). We hope this
publication provides practitioners, especially those working in violence
prevention, with ideas about how to incorporate this information into
their work. |
