From simple discomfort to chronic fear, the fear of animals is a common phenomenon among humans. People who experience discomfort in the presence of animals live with daily stress, whether it’s walking down the street, going to the park, or visiting family or friends. These individuals sometimes feel restricted in their daily lives and may even prevent themselves from enjoying an activity due to an animal’s presence. These situations also occur in children. I invite you to explore the potential causes of all these childhood fears.
1- Traumatic Situation
It’s possible that the child experienced a traumatic, frightening, or impactful event at a young age. This could be a dog jumping on them, startling them by licking their face, or chasing or biting them. The child remains marked by this event and projects it onto all animals they encounter.
2- People in the Child’s Environment Experiencing Fears
A significant person surrounding the child may have fears or hesitations towards animals they encounter. Since children imitate the behaviors of significant people, they quickly learn that it is normal to fear or avoid contact with animals.
3- Overheard Comments
Children often hear negative comments about animals they encounter: “My aunt’s dog is ill-behaved,” “cats are hypocritical,” “fish are useless,” etc. These are all statements that the child can give importance to and use to form their judgment.
4- Imagination and Misunderstanding
Between four and six years old, children have a very rich imagination and sometimes have difficulty distinguishing truth from their imaginary world. Furthermore, since they don’t easily understand the language and intentions of an animal approaching them, they allow themselves to imagine whimsical and, at times, negative stories.
Animal-assisted therapy offers desensitization tools that help children overcome their fears and experience positive situations with various animals. The child will learn to better understand animals’ intentions and non-verbal language, to command respect, and to have fun with them. The specialist will be able to provide them with tools, respecting their pace, that will serve them throughout their life. Furthermore, the animal, a partner in the interventions, will be chosen according to the child’s fear level and the main objective to be achieved. The child will develop their interest and gradually learn the joy of interacting with animals. The main intention is to allow them to participate in their daily activities without considering the presence or absence of an animal around them. What a wonderful gift to offer your child!
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