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Abstract:
Fear in childhood is a quite common symptom and varies in importance according to age and stage of development. Intelligence, psychic constitution and special sensibility influence and coin the readiness and reasons for fear. Fear, however, can also be learned by reinforcement, imitation and identification. The reaction of the environment, in particular that of the parents, may fix physiological fear reactions of the child and these may be used in order to derive advantage. By means of several cases the reader is shown that fear in childhood is not rarely the expression of hysterical exaction. This publication wants especially to point to this kind of child neurosis because of the fact that even physicians and pedagogues submit to this exaction of pity and instead of demanding adequate work treat the child with indulgence or advise to do so. In this way the wrong attitude of the child becomes even more fixed. By his reception at a psychiatric ward for children this circulus vitiosus is usally soon interrupted. If the success of this therapy is to last, the treatment and advise of the whole family must begin synchronously and must often be continued for a long time.