development of phobic/anxious behaviour

[Familybla]

If a child develops phobic or extremely anxious behaviour before the age of 5 and there are no specific triggers/traumas that can be identified, is it generally something that they have received from the parents, or chronically in their home environment?

Sometimes.

Sometimes due to SEN.

Sometimes just completely random. Phobias of things that could harm us/be a sign of danger are far more common than 'silly' phobias so probably some evolutionary background. For example, there is some sense in being scared of dogs even if you've never had a bad experience and your parents love dogs; they're big with sharp teeth. Same with heights, loud noises etc. Why some children develop this to the point of being majorly phobic while others don't is not fully understood. Could be due to how it was handled when the phobia first presented itself. Could be due to a naturally more anxious/cautious personality.