Children in cities and border communities perceive weapons in different ways - psychologist (video)
It is very important to pay attention to the games played by a child under seven, psychologist Aida Arakelyan said on September 7 which is marked as World Day of destruction of military toys. The psychologist says at that age the child begins to discover the world and his perception is formed depending on the way we describe the world to him. "As a result, children may become more aggressive. Gun has a negative impact as a toy as a toy is a way to recognize the surrounding world. If a child is capable of raising arms against his peers it creates a model of actions which he can use later when he grows up,” she said. In reply to a journalist’s question whether the same picture is observed in border communities where guns are perceived as means of defense, Aida Arakelyan said it is a sad reality to see children of border communities spend their childhood in such a situation and perceive the world as an alarming model, where they cannot feel safe and secure.” She says when a country is at war and children are raised in a military environment, there is usually a negative impact on a personal development of an individual. “Given the tense situation in our border villages, children should have a sense of security, which will accompany them throughout their lives and which will determine the level of r self-awareness and stress tolerance. The parents’ attitude is very important in this sense, as they should try to create and atmosphere of security in their homes. If the gun perceived as a means of confidence building and self-defense, it will have a relatively positive influence on children living in border communities if compared with children living in Yerevan, who see weapons only in computer games,” the psychologist said.
