Stranger anxiety information

Stranger anxiety is a form of distress that children experience when exposed to strangers. Stranger anxiety and stranger fear are two interchangeable terms. Stranger anxiety is a typical part of the developmental sequence that most children experience. It can occur even if the child is with a caregiver or another person they trust.^[1] It peaks from six to 12 months^[2] but may recur afterwards until the age of 24 months.^[3] As a child gets older, stranger anxiety can be a problem as they begin to socialize. Children may become hesitant to play with unfamiliar children.^[1] Foster children are especially at risk, particularly if they experienced neglect early in their life.^[1]

The anxiety children experience when meeting a stranger is based on the sensation of fear they develop when introduced to an unfamiliar factor in their life that elicits the feeling of fear. They are not born with the awareness that meeting a stranger for the first time will cause them to be fearful. The child discovers this feeling when facing the stimulus, in this case a stranger, for the first time. Experiencing fear causes toddlers to sense they are in a potentially threatened position and therefore, they go towards their caregiver in order to seek protection from the stranger. This reaction enables children to develop instincts to guide them when they feel endangered and seek the protection of a familiar and trusted individual to ensure their safety and survival. The stimuli which provoke a child's anxiety in the presence of a stranger are influenced by the individual's age, gender and his or her distance from the toddler. When a child is in the company of an unknown child, they are less frightened than if they were with an unknown adult. This is due to the height of the individual. The taller the person, the more frightening they seem. In addition, children are more fearful of a stranger when they are standing in close proximity to them, while their caregiver is farther away or completely out of their sight. The gender of the stranger contributes to the level of anxiety a child experiences. When in the presence of a male, the child feels more anxious than in front of a female.^[4]

The anxiety a child feels when facing a stranger is based on various fears that arise in them. A few of these are based on the actions the stranger could unexpectedly take. For example, the child worries they can be taken away from their caregiver or harmed. The fear of the unknown elicits the anxiety. Although anxiety can go away in few minutes, it could also last a long time.^[5] As children reach the age of two, their feelings of anxiety in the presence of strangers are nearly gone. However, some children can still experience apprehension up until the age of four.^[6] It is less probable for toddlers to experience anxiety in the presence of a stranger if a figure they trust, such as their caregivers, perform positive interactions with this person. For example, they employ a calm tone of voice, they smile and hug the stranger. This enables the child to feel a certain reassurance seeing that their caregiver does not show any sign of fear in the presence of this individual.^[7]

^ ^a ^b ^c Stranger anxiety
^ Deterding, Robin R.; William Winn Hay; Myron J. Levin; Judith M. Sondheimer (2006). Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Pediatrics. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-07-146300-3.
- Williams, Sears (August 2011). "bye-bye BABY". Baby Talk. 76 (6): 22–24. Retrieved October 2, 2011.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ What to Expect. Toddler Stranger Anxiety.
^ Lampinen, James Michael; Sexton-Radek, Kathy (2010-09-13). Protecting Children from Violence: Evidence-Based Interventions. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781136980046.
^ Pantley, Elizabeth (2010-03-26). The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution: Gentle Ways to Make Good-bye Easy from Six Months to Six Years. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 9780071747073.
^ Martin, Carol Lynn; Fabes, Richard (2008-01-25). Discovering Child Development. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781111808112.
^ Shaffer, David (2008-09-19). Social and Personality Development. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781111807269.

[Stranger_Anxiety-1] Stranger anxiety

[2] Deterding, Robin R.; William Winn Hay; Myron J. Levin; Judith M. Sondheimer (2006). Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Pediatrics. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-07-146300-3.
- Williams, Sears (August 2011). "bye-bye BABY". Baby Talk. 76 (6): 22–24. Retrieved October 2, 2011.^{[permanent dead link]}

[3] What to Expect. Toddler Stranger Anxiety.

[4] Lampinen, James Michael; Sexton-Radek, Kathy (2010-09-13). Protecting Children from Violence: Evidence-Based Interventions. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781136980046.

[5] Pantley, Elizabeth (2010-03-26). The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution: Gentle Ways to Make Good-bye Easy from Six Months to Six Years. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 9780071747073.

[6] Martin, Carol Lynn; Fabes, Richard (2008-01-25). Discovering Child Development. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781111808112.

[7] Shaffer, David (2008-09-19). Social and Personality Development. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781111807269.

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