Fear itself is a natural response to stimuli, the reaction often being emotionally charged. While the focus of our research is fears, rather than discussing typical childhood terrors, we leaned towards the topic as a social and cultural response to the times. Rather than bedtime stories full of monsters or scary illustrations we looked at illness, authority figures and power dynamics, labor, and more. Using data and research surrounding these areas of focus, we saw how these fears progressed over time and were impacted by social change (Stearns, 1991).
In the late 19th century and prior, most families viewed children as workers, whether in the home, on the family farm, or sent out to work for others. They were expected to contribute to the family rather than necessarily earn an education. Parents instilled fear in children through punishment if they were to disobey the requirement to work (Barker, 1890). In this sense, the use of fear was actualized through discipline.
During the time children were viewed as laborers, corporal punishment was the main form of discipline. Literature on how and when to punish children grew during the early 20th century popularizing that the idea of discipline or punishment can groom a child to fit society or a parent’s standards. (Adler, 1920) Around the end of the first half of the 20th century, education came of importance to a child’s upbringing. Discipline and fear took new forms such as the fear of being unsuccessful or the fear of being beaten or mistreated by a teacher, or the fear of letting down a parent or society’s standards. The pressure to do better and be better in that of American social standards was growing. Parents, rather than discipline with corporal punishment, began to verbally and emotionally punish children, humiliate them even. (Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1947) Children’s fear of authority and the discipline they administered remained.
In the early 1940s President Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech in response to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The address included a set of democratic values that became posters critical to keeping America’s spirits high during the war. One included, illustrated the child as a being to protect and nurture. (Rockwell, 1943)
This exemplifies that transition from children as workers to a focus on the protection and safekeeping of children.
Through our research we found a lot of times fear in children emerged from a fear for children, particularly in communities of color, among immigrants, and in lower classes. During the time discipline took new forms, children of color were disproportionately punished by school authority, law, and when sentenced. Punishment was far worse than that against white children. Black mothers had been socially constructed as ‘unfit’ and often faced discrimination in their parenting skills and their child’s actions. They parented with the fear that their child would be criminalized or with the risk of losing their parental rights. Fear was a combination of the criminalization of black childhood and the subordination of black motherhood. (Elliot and Reid. 2019)
Gender played a significant role in the fear for children, in regards to what society expected of men versus women. We found that boys were often expected to face their fears while girls, who were assumed to be more protected and sheltered, were seen as having no reason to be fearful. (Stearn, 1991) Discipline in school also intimidated children into submission.
Physical education was promoted to ensure that a child would be fit and healthy, to match the ideal characteristics of an ‘all American’ boy or girl — children for whom the ideal was unattainable suffered socially, emotionally, and through bullying. The culture-wide spread of nationalism also amplified the fear of failure in children through socially constructed gender roles. For example, boys were expected to be strong, prideful American patriots and girls were expected to become obedient housewives and mothers. Toys and games reflected these gender roles too. For example, science experiment kits reinforced the ideal of industrious, creative boys. (Onion, 2016) Society even reinforced these notions by inciting the fear of not fitting in or being unwanted by family. (Gagen, 2004) Through research and analyzing past childhood stories and illustrations, the intersections of gender were common. Childhood tales often depicted the woman as needing reassurance or comfort from a man who was never expected to display emotions. Similar to the idea that fear should not be used to discipline children, there was the idea that women should never be confronted with fear as it is ‘unpleasant’. (Stearns, 1991)
As much as there was evidence for using fear as disciplining children, there was literature as to why using fear was ineffective and detrimental to a child’s development. A lot of the time parents and authority figures weaponized fear because children reacted almost immediately. It was easy for them to get children to behave. The constant use of fear as a form of disciplining a child can lead to lack of confidence, control and eventually lead to behavioral issues. (Stearns, 1991)
