Children experience anxiety of their first day of school, when they meet new people or when they have to take a bad report card home to their parents, and that is completely normal. However, anxiety can become debilitating for children when it starts to affect their ability to succeed in school and their ability to make and maintain friendships.
Separation
Some children become extremely anxious when they have to separate from their parents. These children feel stressed and worry when they have to leave their parents to go to school, camp or to a friend's house to play. They might fear something bad is going to happen to their parents. According to the National Mental Health Information Center, one in 25 children suffers from separation anxiety disorder.
Trauma
Another cause of anxiety for children is trauma. When a child experiences a traumatic event, she might be able to recover without much help from parents or professionals, or she might need professional intervention such as therapy. Some traumatic events that might cause long-term anxiety include a severe car accident, being molested, a natural disaster, the death of a parent or being physically abused. These traumatic incidents can cause a child to have nightmares, flashbacks and feel sad or irritable.
Obsessions
Children can become obsessed with something specific--such as germs or a number--that turns into obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors and leads to an anxiety disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. A child might become obsessed with something because he feels out of control in other areas. For instance, a child who experienced trauma might start believing that the number five had something to do with the trauma. Therefore, he must always do things in sets of five to prevent future issues. He might demand to step through a doorway five times before moving on, read five books before bed or kiss his parents five times before going to a friend's house.
Specific Phobias
Another cause of stress in children is specific phobias. For instance, a child might get a dog bite when she's 3 and then become panicked every time she sees a dog thereafter. She might have to cross the street anytime she will pass a house that has a dog in the yard, or she might not be able to play at the houses of friends who have dogs. It could become a huge strain on her ability to lead a normal life.
Stress
Stress is a leading cause of anxiety for children. A child who constantly worries and becomes stressed over small things is more likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder. According to the Mental Health Association of Westchester, children with anxiety disorders tend to react more intensely than other children to small dangers.
