Fear of Dogs in Children
A child's phobia, like a fear of dogs, may seem to come out of nowhere to an adult who doesn't share it. But children's terrors of canine animals are real, and if the problem goes unsolved, the consequences can be serious, blocking a family from adopting a puppy or preventing a child from walking to school. According to the article "Fighting Children's Fears Fast," from the journal Monitor on Psychology, therapists who have had great success treating phobic adults still struggle with how to treat children's phobias. A few researchers, though, such as Virginia Tech's Thomas Ollendick, have developed proven techniques.
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Fear is Learned
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Although the events that create a phobia are often difficult to identify, according to "Dealing with Children's Fear of Dogs," an article on Best Dog For Children.Net., a child may have encountered a growling dog, been nipped by a dog, simply knocked over by a rambunctious dog or been exposed to violent canines in movies or on television. Many phobia sufferers, even some phobic children, grasp that their fears are irrational and that most dogs offer no threat, but will experience the fear anyway.
Understanding
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According to clinical psychologist Kristi Alexander, the first step to helping children overcome their fear of dogs is to acknowledge that the anxiety is real. Parents should be careful not to increase the child's anxiety by becoming anxious themselves or dismissing the fear. Never force the child into confronting the fear by pushing her in front of a dog to try to "get her over it." Tell the child you understand she is afraid. Offer to help the child walk near dogs by holding her hand, or carrying her. Slowly encourage her to approach dogs as she gets more comfortable with them.
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Exposure
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In 2005 Thomas Ollendick of Virginia Tech, began a new program for treating children with phobias. His method encouraged voluntary exposure to the source of the phobia backed up with education and modeling. Under Ollendick's therapy, phobic children were asked to make predictions about how a dog might behave if they stood next to it. They might predict that a dog would jump or growl or bark. They were then asked to test their theories. This technique made the exposure a choice for the child, and turned it into something of a game.
Education
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Therapists like Thompson Davis use education as a tool to give children more control over how they react to the things they fear. Simply telling a child that dogs won't hurt him doesn't help. The child understands that such a statement isn't entirely true, and it offers him no tools for dealing with what frightens him. However, explaining to him how to find out if a dog is safe to approach by asking the owner or reading the dog's physical signals, helps a child deal with fears by giving him some control over the situation.
Modeling
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Davis also practices modeling the behaviors he would like to see from his patients. A possible source of a child's fear of dogs may be a parent's or other adult's reaction to them. Even subtle hints that a parent is not comfortable around dogs himself may make a powerful impression on the child. Similarly, modeling positive behaviors for children can help them face their fears. Before asking a child to confront her fear directly by petting or walking a dog, a parent should demonstrate the act himself.
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References
- Photo Credit dog image by Michal Tudek from Fotolia.com
