Humans have a wide range of fears that can develop even from a very young age. While the extent and specificity of fears varies between individuals, there are some common fears that most humans share from birth due to our basic survival instincts and common developmental stages.
Fear of Loud Noises
One of the most basic human fears that is present from birth is a fear of loud noises. Newborn babies have very sensitive hearing and loud noises can easily startle and upset them. This fear likely developed evolutionarily as a way for infants to signal distress and notify caregivers of potential danger.
Some research has found that infants as young as 6 months old will cry and exhibit increased heart rates when exposed to loud noises. This reaction continues into toddlerhood and early childhood. However, with repeated exposure babies can start to habituate to noises and learn to differentiate between threatening and non-threatening sounds.
Fear of Falling
Another inborn fear in humans is a fear of falling. Studies have found that infants as young as 6 months old will cling more tightly to caregivers when positioned at heights. As infants become more mobile, they often crawl or scoot cautiously near ledges or stairs.
It is believed this fear of heights and falling is present from birth as an evolutionary protective mechanism. Before infants can fully comprehend dangers, an innate discomfort with heights protects them from potential injury. This fear continues as toddlers learn to walk unassisted and begin to understand their physical vulnerability.
Fear of Strangers
The appearance of stranger anxiety and fear of unfamiliar people is one of the most well-known developmental fears in childhood. Starting around 6-8 months old, infants begin showing preferences for primary caregivers, wariness around unfamiliar adults, and separation anxiety when caregivers leave.
This fear likely arises as infants begin to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces. They realize their vulnerability and dependance on caregivers for safety and comfort. Fear of strangers tends to peak between 12-18 months old and slowly declines as children gain independence and understanding of the world around them.
Fear of Bodily Harm
Children also tend to exhibit a fear of bodily harm, injury, and physical danger from very early on. This includes fear of animals, sharp objects, fire, heights, and unfamiliar environments. Some research has found infants as young as 9 months old will show caution around heights and moving objects.
As mobility increases in toddlerhood, so does wariness around potential physical harm. Young children may refuse to touch animals, avoid climbing, and exhibit hesitation with unfamiliar or sharp objects. This arises from an innate self-preservation reaction and develops further as children gain understanding of cause and effect.
Fear of Separation from Caregiver
Another universal fear in infants is separation anxiety and a fear of being left alone by primary caregivers. This fear generally emerges around 6-7 months old, peaks at 12-15 months old, and declines as children reach 2-3 years old.
Being left alone likely first triggers unease around 6 months when infants can differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces. As understanding grows, they realize their full dependence on caregivers and experience anxiety when separated. This encourages bonding behaviors and motivates infants to maintain proximity to caregivers.
Fear of Doctors/Shots
A common childhood fear is a fear of doctors, dentists, and medical procedures. This often emerges around 4-6 years old and may be triggered by a bad medical experience, general anxiety about pain or illness, or by a child’s active imagination.
Fear is often directed at white lab coats, stethoscopes, and medical instruments. Children may worry about shots, injuries, blood draws, or even extended confinement in the exam room. Patience, preparation, and post-visit rewards can often minimize these fears.
Fear of the Dark
Many young children develop a fear of the dark, especially during the preschool years. Nighttime darkness limits visual cues, hiding potential “threats.” Active imaginations and cartoon monsters exacerbate this. Fear may cause difficulty sleeping alone, bedtime anxiety, nightmares, or calling out at night.
Parents can minimize this fear by using night lights, establishing bedtime routines, providing comfort objects, reading positive stories, and reassuring children their safety. Most children outgrow this fear by elementary school as reasoning skills improve.
Fear of Animals
Fear of animals like dogs, cats, bugs, and mice is incredibly common in childhood. Some children are innately more sensitive to creatures than others. However, scary stories, movies, or events like insect bites or dog chases can trigger fear.
Starting around age 6, children develop an ability to differentiate safe from scary animals. Parents should minimize scary media and teach appropriate caution around unknown or poisonous animals. With time and positive exposure, animal fears usually fade.
Fear of Natural Events
Intense weather, loud noises, and natural disasters can also trigger fear in children. Events like thunder, lightening, wind, and loud sounds are intrinsically alarming to young kids. Stories or experiences with natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods can also cause phobias.
Having safety plans, designating safe spaces during events, acknowledging fears, and framing events positively helps children develop coping skills and learn to differentiate real from exaggerated dangers. These fears normally decline by age 10.
Fear of Injury/Blood
Injury, blood, needles, injections and other medical procedures frequently cause fear or fainting in children. Coming face to face with one’s physical vulnerability can be frightening. Needle phobia affects up to 20% of the population.
Allowing children control of medical encounters within reason, using numbing, distraction and positive self talk can help minimize fears. Exposure therapy also helps as does reframing doctor visits as helpful and pain management as mature. Most children will outgrow these fears.
Fear of Monsters
Belief in mythical monsters is common between ages 3 and 6. Active imaginations combine with movies, stories, shadows and noises to produce illusory creatures. Bedrooms, closets and under beds are common sites.
Checking spaces for monsters, leaving lights on, reviewing fantasy vs reality and removing scary media help. Most monsters fade as logic develops but some children remain sensitive. Compassion, comfort and empathy for overactive imaginations help children cope.
Fear of the Unknown
Fear of the unknown encompasses many childhood anxieties including worries about death, natural disaster, injury, abandonment and uncertainty. Kids realize their limited knowledge, skills and control.
Parents should emphasize safety, preparation, education, openness, reassurance, independence and problem solving skills. A balance between protection and autonomy helps build competence to overcome fears. Modeling levelheadedness also teaches kids how to handle uncertainty.
Fear of Failure/Rejection
Self-conscious emotions like shame, guilt and embarrassment emerge around age 2-3. As children engage more socially they may fear failure at school, sports or friendships. Rejection sensitivity peaks between ages 7-11.
Unconditional parental support, encouragement of efforts over outcomes, modeling resilience, focusing criticism on behaviors not character and teaching self-compassion help counter rejection fears. Positive self-talk, relaxation, exposure and reframing fears can also help.
Fear of Illness
Children lack well-developed immune systems so minor illnesses can seem threatening. Periodic health scares like COVID also heighten fears. Media exposures to others’ sickness can also contribute.
Parents should emphasize preventative care, normal childhood illnesses, and proper hygiene while also limiting scary media. Be honest but optimistic when children do fall ill. Model self-care and highlight medical advances. Validate fears while noting most recover well.
Conclusion
In summary, research suggests humans are born with several innate fears necessary for infant survival including loud noises, falling, and separation from caregivers. Additional common childhood fears develop as children’s physical and cognitive abilities grow such as fears of strangers, doctors, the dark, and imagined creatures. Fears peak at various toddler and childhood milestones then gradually decline as experience and reasoning develop. Parents play an important role in validating normal fears while also cultivating coping skills and resilience to overcome them.