Outline
Introduction – Major behavioural problem among adolescents and its impacts on both academic and social life of children – Reasons for behavioural problem – Different types of behavioural problems and their influence on learning – Aggression, bullying, risk-taking, violence and anti-social activities – How to prevent behavioural problems- Proper awareness to parents and teachers – Conclusion
Behavioural problems
At present, a large number of school students and adolescents have behavioural problems and they are continuously getting in to deep psychological problems in their life. Adolescents have various types of pressures which include parental problems, poverty, academic problems, violence and gangs. Adolescent period is considered as the most critical stage in the mental and physical development of a person’s life. In the case of some students these depressions becomes visible through serious behavioural disorder or mental distress. Behavioural disorder such as shoplifting, fight with classmates, bullying, destroying properties, truancy, using drugs and alcoholism and aggressiveness may be the outward signs among the adolescents. Through these kinds of misbehaviour parents, teachers and loved ones may feel angry, hopeless and frustrated.
Adolescents need proper consideration and respect both in the classroom and personal life. Lack of proper care and guidance create behavioural problems among adolescents. Social, religious, academic, economic and psychological factors often promote problems. Poverty and isolation lead to critical mental distress and behavioural disorders. The web article named Behavioural Problems among Early Adolescents gives proper explanations the about the reasons of behavioural problems among young people. It says,
“If the proper care and attention is not taken in this stage, the adolescents might develop problematic behaviour problems and this may continue in the adult hood.”
(Hiremath, Hunshal & Gaonkar, 2008, p.3). Adolescent period is considered much more crucial than other stages of development in a person’s life. Influence of peer groups and emergence of modern visual medias often play the role of a promoter of behavioural problems. It is apparent that there is a clear link between the media violence in general and violent behaviour in children. Children learn from what they observe; which means, what they see on TV. Risk-taking is highly related with television programs and movies.
In the field of education, aggressive and violent nature of students has created critical management problems. Sociological and psychological adjustment difficulties are major causes for these kinds of behavioural problems. Bullying is a harmful epidemic and it has contributed to dropping out, early suspension from school, truancy, low academic performance and suicide. In case of a school student, bullying can be said to be the deliberate attempts to harm, ridicule, or distress another student. Direct and indirect bullying is harmful for the smooth functioning of classroom procedures. Educators and researchers equally agree that bullying is harmful for individual student as well as the entire class and they have searched for preventive measures to avoid educational problems. The following statement rightly comments about the seriousness of bullying among school students.
It says, “In fact, 20% of all youth suicides are related to present or past experiences of having been bullied.” (Smith & Simpson, (n.d)). Bullying among students promotes lose of self-esteem, loss of trust in friends and teachers, drug usage and alcoholism, attempting suicide and serious developmental problems. Cyber bullying is a challenge for modern classroom. Here bullying is carried out with the help of modern technologies such as e-mail, discussion, chatting and mobile phone messaging. Bullying makes the students indulge in household abuse and various physical abuses. Aggression and violence are another type of behavioural problem among the schoolchildren. Violent behaviour against teachers and peer groups, destroying properties and hitting others are expressions of aggressive behaviour. When analyzing the nature and academic performance of aggressive and violent students one can see that lack of proper care and support from the part of parents and the society are the major reason for student aggression. If violence occurs, as one knows, it will have far-reaching effects not only among the offenders, but with everyone. Many incidents which occurred in different parts of the world undoubtedly prove the role of children engaged in violence causing public and personal loss. Even deaths because of this violence have been reported. Boys, girls, the grown up people and even infants are the victims of these behavioural Influence of gangs.
Drugs, alcoholism, poverty, and child abuse are considered as other supporting reasons for student aggression and violence. Researchers who study about this violence among children and teens agree that the acts of cruelty and violence towards humans and animals are serious matter. Victimization and conflict resolution among the adolescents are based on sex and age differences. Aggressive behaviour and conflict resolution are highly interrelated. In case of conflict resolution girls would practice compromise, obliging, social support and politeness more than boys. A study report based on a secondary school in Adelaide, South Australia reveals that both boys and girls experienced some kind of physical and verbal victimization. Emergence of risk- taking among adolescents is a part of developmental process. In their collaborative effort entitled, Handbook of adolescent behavioural problems Thomas P. Gullotta et al give accurate information about risk- taking and its significance among adolescents.
The book says: “Unfortunately, when taken to extremes, risk- taking can have severe consequences, and is connected to approximately 70% of teenage deaths due to motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, countless unintentional injuries for boys and nearly one half million unplanned pregnancies for teenage girls.” (Gullotta, Adams & Ramos, 2005, p.14). Risk- taking mentality is not an absolute behavioural problem among adolescents. However, it is harmful when adolescents often attempt to experiment with sex, deliquent acts, using alcohol and drugs. Risk –taking and other behavioural problems lead students towards anti social activities such as delinquency, school failure, early suspension, and alcohol and drug abuse. Stuttering and stammering create some behavioural problems among adolescents.
To develop good parent –child relationship is one of the significant preventive measures for adolescent behavioural problems. Proper understanding and consideration of adolescent problems are essential for classrooms. Implementing early intervention service, family support system, community support system and ensuring academic competence are helpful for preventing behavioural problems among adolescents. Class discussion and using of confidential message box for both students and teachers can also be a effective preventive measure for reducing bullying. It will be useful if various methods are provided to students through which to gain recognition and self-esteem and preventive welfare programs are introduced among adolescents.
In conclusion, one can say that behavioural problems create critical problems among adolescents. These often prevent effective academic achievement, psychological development and desired learning outcome in the field of adolescent education. Aggression, risk-taking, bullying, and violence are major behavioural problems visible among adolescents. Proper care and consideration are essential for students. All kinds of behavioural problems may be related with drop out, early suspension from school, attempting anti- social activities and critical psychological problems. Effective implementation of preventive measures is helpful for maintaining healthy classroom atmosphere. To create healthy relationship between parents and their children is very important in caring for adolescents. When analyzing the behavioural problems of adolescents one can see that parents and teachers should have proper awareness about the behavioural disorders and the major contributing factors.
References
Hiremath, Krupa., Hunshal, Saraswathi., & Gaonkar, V. (2008). Behavioural problems among early adolescents*: Behavioural problems. Web.
Gullotta, Thomas P., Adams, Gerald R., & Ramos, Jessica M. (2005). Handbook of adolescent behavioural problems: evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment.Springer. Web.
Smith, Brenda., & Simpson, Richard L. (n.d). Aggression and violence by school-age children and youth. (Provided by the customer).