Rural Children Under Stress

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In addition to all the demands of their own lives which place stress on them, children and teens in rural America have stress resulting from farm and business financial hardship, the drought, and other aspects of the rural crisis.

The effects of stress on children from such conditions may have long-term implications. Some families are experiencing divorce, alcoholism, abuse, and other crises, as well as the financial problems.

In addition to stress, the loss of the family farm or business can mean a whole series of losses for children and youth. For example, rural children grieve the loss of doing chores with parents and the loss of having them available since home was also the center of work. Children may lose their 4-H projects when the farm goes. And perhaps most painful is the loss of the dream for a future in the family farm or business.

Children and youth (rural or urban) under stress may show one or more of the following symptoms.

Disorganization: The child may have trouble completing assignments or projects and following directions.

Lack of interest in self and others: The youngster may appear withdrawn and unable to experience pleasure.

Preoccupied look: The child may spend time staring into space and seem to be in another world.

Sadness and crying: Particularly in older children and teens, tears in public may be a sign of inability to cope with problems.

Opposite behavior from usual: Careful children become reckless; pleasant children become abrasive; social children withdraw from friends.

Violence: The child/teen is aggressive, hostile, destructive, or verbally abusive.

Regression: Behavior may become quite immature for the child/teen's age and previous behavior.

Weight change: The child/teen may be overeating or undereating. A drastic weight change, up or down, often accompanies depression in both children and adults.

Fear: The child may become afraid of many things and may not want to participate in any activity involving risk taking.

Fatigue: The child/teen may not be getting adequate sleep due to turmoil. Fatigue is also a common symptom of depression.

Extreme obedience and compliance: The child/teen may think that if he/she is "good" everything will be o.k. again.

Absence from school, 4-H, or other organizations: The youngster may withdraw from the presence of others because of shame or depression.

Ronald Pitzer
Family Sociologist

Originally published in February 1989

College of Human Ecology in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Extension Service

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