The need for psychological help for children is an essential element of community psychology, as it seriously affects the well-being of society. In the case of traumatic experiences of child sexual abuse, factors affecting the child’s psychological state play an important role. Bronfenbrenner’s developmental approach provides a framework for conceptualizing children’s mental health needs by considering the various environments that affect psychological well-being (Kagan et al., 2019). Utilizing this approach in the context of child psychology reveals that the child’s needs appear in the context of the setting at multiple levels. Furthermore, the child’s presence in a particular system determines the interdependence between the child’s well-being and the community. Overall, this ecological approach allows one to address mental health needs in various settings.
One of the most significant peculiarities of a situation of sexual abuse of a child, in this case, is the direct participation of family members. Therefore, the child has a traumatic psychological experience at the microsystem level, which the family represents (Moritsugu et al., 2019). Furthermore, the lack of an adequate level of trust in parents and being surrounded by the person who led to the traumatic experience worsens the child’s mental state. In this situation, the child’s need for mental health features the necessity of immediate involvement of parents and community psychology practitioners. From Bronfenbrenner’s developmental approach framework, the 8-year-old child’s need for mental health features several complexities in a setting that includes family, school, and peers. Therefore, the unmet needs for psychological assistance occur at the primary level of the child’s environment, which may cause well-being issues in other systems.
A significant factor influencing the child’s mental health in the situation is the influence of adults restricting the opportunity to express concerns. Instructions to conceal the fact of sexual abuse from a relative in this context complicate the child’s ability to receive psychological help. Furthermore, in this case, the child’s age is an essential factor influencing the difficulty of communicating with elders about the traumatic experience (Hodgetts, 2020). Hence, there is a need for the child to be able to inform others of the traumatic experience. In Amy’s situation, the need for mental health features limitations within the microsystem since the individuals responsible for the traumatic experience and those capable of providing help or recourse to community psychology specialists are relatives. Thus, the concept of mental health needs includes the possibility of problem factors and potential sources of help within the single setting, exemplified by the family as a microsystem.
From a biblical perspective, the conceptualization of the child’s mental health needs at different levels concerns the scriptural view of the interaction between the child and parents. Proverbs 29:17 state: “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire” (BibleGateway, n.d.). These lines illustrate the importance of parental attention to children. In the context of children’s mental health needs, it expresses the significance of parents’ role in the well-being of the child and family. In the context of Amy’s situation, this prescription typifies the role of parents as primary providers of care for the child. Furthermore, the lack of parental involvement in the child’s development is an additional factor contributing to the unmet mental health needs related to the family setting. Overall, the Bible defines the parents’ function as central to child development, emphasizing the significance of well-being within the family in addressing the needs of the members of this microsystem.
References
Hodgetts, D. (2020). Social psychology and everyday life. Red Globe Press.
Kagan, C., Burton, M., Duckett, P., Lawthom, R., & Siddiquee, A. (2019). Critical community psychology: Critical action and social change. Routledge.
Moritsugu, J., Vera, E., Wong, F. Y., & Duffy, K. (2019). Community psychology. Routledge.
Proverbs 29:17 NIV. (n.d.). BibleGateway. Web.