Stranger anxiety

Stranger anxiety is a form of distress that children experience when exposed to people unfamiliar to them. Symptoms may vary, but include: getting very quiet and staring at the stranger, the child verbally protesting by cries or other vocalizations and/or hiding behind a parent. Stranger anxiety is a typical and therefore normal part of the developmental sequence that most children experience.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Center for Effective Parenting
• Department of Health and Senior Services, “Best Practice Recommendations” for allaying stranger anxiety