How Social Anxiety Develops In Children - By: NathanT

Social Phobia, equally termed as Social Anxiety Disorder, develops mostly in children. In fact 4 out of ten cases start before the child is ten. Less than 10% of cases develop in adults over 20 years of age. Social phobia can be hard to identify for teachers and parents since it resembles general shyness.

Right from the beginning babies get enormous attention from relatives and close family. As you might have recognized, some babies can be awfully shy. We begin to develop inhibitions from a young age and we become more and more self-conscious. The older they get the more social obstacles they face. Now they're making friends with other children and they begin to engage in peer to peer social relationships.

It can be overwhelming and scary for shy children to face a crowd of unfamiliar faces and even more to interact. The confident children might also assume leadership in groups and shun away the weaker children. Unfortunately this process can be a reoccurring one right up to adulthood.

Teenagers with social phobia are often seen as different by other children and are frequently bullied and teased for this. These children are barely noticed and they may come to accept that they are ignored. Children are barraged daily with criticism and disapproval by teachers and parents. It's a sad fact that most children receive more criticism than praise. Unsurprisingly they fear being at the centre of attention and may refuse to participate in class activities.

They come to expect from themselves that they are not good enough and grow fearful of being an embarrassment to others. This can dramatically affect a child's academic ability. Children with social anxiety find it difficult to make friends and build relationships. They might spend most of their time alone at school and in their bedroom when at home.

To their parents they might be seen as shy and something that they grow out of and even a part of puberty. These problems however do not simply pass and most children grow into adults with the same disorder but with bigger problems. As adults they face having to socialize at parties, work side by side with colleagues and assume more responsibility in life.

Building relationships and making friends is as hard as ever. Adults may turn to alcohol as a means to help relieve symptoms and inhibitions. Those with this disorder are much more prone to drug use and even suicide. It's a parent's responsibility to get help and social anxiety treatment for a child that needs it.

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