Introduction
Physical environment where people live and grow up is certainly one of the main sources of factors that affects directly or indirectly development of a person through various development stages (Richardson 2000). For instance, natural calamities such as Hurricane Katrina which occurred in New Orleans interrupts with peoples lifes in a manner that adversely affects their social, biological, psychological, psycho-social and cognitive development of different-aged people.
Patrick is one of the people whose lifes were interrupted with by the deadly Hurricane Katrina. This calamity forced him to live temporary in Texas from where they later moved to New Jersey before going back to New Orleans three years later. Patrick is twelve years old and he has serious behavioural problems that concern not only his parents but also his teachers who have already alerted his parents to be vigilant especially when their son is at home.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Patrick’s cognitive, social, psychological and psycho-social development problems can be solved in order to heal his behavioural problems at home and in school.
Background
Human growth and development occurs through different stages during a person’s lifetime from conception till when he or she dies. Late childhood and early adolescence are some of the developmental stages that are characterized by a lot of social, biological, psychological, psycho-social and cognitive changes in a child’s development.
The intensity and sudden change of children behaviour, temperament and personality during this development phase explains most of parents concerns and fears during therapeutic consultations. Parents often report that their recently calm and contained child is no longer as reasonable or reliable as they were just a few months before.
At this particular growth and development stage most children’s sense of self begins to come into shape amid various psychological, psycho-social and cognitive changes that the child is not aware of and does not understand (Meggitt 2006). Some feel that they are grown up enough and should be free from their parental control and guidance.
In other words, they start clamoring for freedom of choice. One of the factors that control these changes is the cognitive development of a child (Meggitt 2006). Cognitive changes result in more than just conflicts of interests between early adolescents and their parents.
These changes occur against a given background of external factors such as peer pressure and childhood exposure to traumatic experiences like the one Patrick encountered through Hurricane Katrina when he was still a child. This can be worsened by socio-economic challenges and problems that Patrick and his family are facing currently.
Such an encounter brings the child a lot of frustrating and painful experiences and if it is not immediately and properly handled it leads to relationship problems between a child and his or her parents and others like teachers and colleagues later in life.
He or she may have problems trusting any one during late childhood and early adolescence development stages and may want to do as he or she wishes thereby becoming inattentive, hostile, rude, and disobedient and in some circumstances withdrawn and alienated.
These circumstances makes them want to experiment with many things some dangerous like drug abuse and premarital sex most of which are informed by poor decisions. As a result, they develop anti-social habits and bad behaviours which becomes the source of their parents and teachers concern, fear and distress. Such habits include delinquency which is discussed in this paper with an example of Patrick.
Current state
In this scenario, Patrick, a twelve years old boy is passing through a turbulent development stage. His parents have reported that their recently lovable and obedient child has turned into an emotional tyrant who slams door whenever angry, bullies his classmates in school and exhibits lawlessness. He has become quite intensively indecisive and has a worrying negative outlook.
Patrick’s parents are horrified with this poor development. Patrick is in a transitional development stage between late childhood and early adolescence. As mentioned in the previous section, his ego is coming into form against a background of various biological changes which are taking place and will continue taking place through out the adolescence stage.
Unfortunately, these development changes are taking place within a context of frustrating socio-economic circumstances which can potentially cause psychological and psychosocial problems which can in turn be the root cause of his bad behaviours. This is explained by possibilities of unrealization of his basic needs of survival, belonging, love, power, freedom and fun (Holt and Kysilka, 2005).
Patrick’s behaviour has caused his parents enough misery. His persistent defiance of authority has cost his parents enough already in terms of money, school problems and other societal troubles. His habits have extended more and more beyond the confines of his life at home and even in school.
If Patrick’s behavioural problems will not be checked early enough, his bad behaviour will spill over to the domain of criminal system and even to the courts now or later on in life (Herbert 2005). Now his parents want some calmness and sanity in their home life, his school life and social life. They are tired of being called over and over again by his teachers to solve cases of bullying, breaking common sense school rules and other bad behaviors.
His parents have been encountered severally with the threat of their twelve-years-old son being taken to a rehabilitation facility or be sued in children’s courts due to unruly behaviour. Patrick’s bad behaviours have actually prompted the engagement of professional counseling in order to try and correct the circumstances surrounding this issue.
Development problems in this scenario
The development problems in this scenario actually fall between the late childhood stage and the early adolescence stage. Transition to adolescence comes along with the development and establishment of a clear sense of identity. There are actually three aspects of identity that particularly concern teenagers (Meggitt 2006).
They include the way they see their present abilities, status and roles. The second aspect is the way the teenagers accept their body images, a favorable representation of what it is like, and how it looks to others. The third aspect is the fulfillment of their aspirations for themselves so that they become what they would like to become (Meggitt 2006).
It should be noted that adolescence is the period that begins in the psychological changes of puberty and ends at an indefinite time, when the young person is supposedly both mature and independent-as defined by a variety of social and economic indicators. Such indicators include completion of schooling, the attainment of economic independence, personal status, duties, and privileges.
It also includes the right to bear arms and the right to marry. If these changes take place in frustrating socio-economic circumstances like in Patrick’s case, psychological and psycho-social problems may occur thereby leading behavioural problems.
Patrick is facing serious social development problems which are closely related to their current economic status which was brought about by the losses they incurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This unfortunate tragedy interrupted with their former comfortable lifestyles which were relatively comfortable and happier.
This may be the cause of his bad behaviours resulting from unrealilsation of one or more of his basic needs of survival, belonging, love, power, freedom and fun. According Glasser, one of the greatest psychologists of our age, more than ninety percent of all bad behaviours in children and students are a result of misguided efforts of children to achieve power (Holt and Kysilka, 2005).
In addition, since Hurricane Katrina occurred when he was younger may be his parents never took the necessary measures of treating trauma since they were not aware of the long term problems that it may latter cause their child and therefore he never came to terms with it fully.
Socially related behavioural problems are actually common in many adolescents. As children approach the age of adolescence, they grow stronger, they become more assertive and some of them become more rebellious. Consequently, delinquency becomes one of the most notorious adolescent behavioural problems.
Suggested interventions
Patrick’s problems are largely social and psycho-social. This explains his misbehaviour and delinquency at school and home. There are a number of correctional interventions that his parents and teachers can adopt in order to instruct him in good behaviours and help him accept realities of their current life in relation to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.
Ginott put forward what has been termed to as theories of congruent or harmonious communication between teachers, parents, administrators and students/children (Taylor & Nixon, 2004). His theory known simply as the Ginott Model is founded up on interpersonal relations and communication between children, students and parents and teachers.
His model recommends that teachers should embrace an approach that makes students feel recognized, respected and accepted (Taylor & Nixon, 2004). His theory provides strategies for teachers to build and develop self-confidence, self-esteem and deemphasize frustration and fear in classroom. He supports the concept that teachers should always attack the problem and not the student (Taylor & Nixon, 2004).
Therefore, teachers should avoid at all costs labeling and negative criticism because labeled students tend to exhibit what they have been labeled a trend which can encourage bad behaviours.Ginnot proposed that teachers should shun too much criticism and instead they should provide recommendations and advise and make succinct statements to students geared towards improving their academic and co-curricular performances and seek their input and to correct behaviour (Taylor & Nixon, 2004).
The main idea behind his theory is functional and supportive relationships between teachers, parents, Children and students. Patrick’s parents input are as important as his teachers’ efforts. They too should embrace a communication and relational approach that instills hope in their son when he is at home.
They should help their son understand that irrespective of what happened to their lives thanks to Hurricane Katrina all is not lost and assure him that a brighter future awaits him if he will chose to focus his energy and time towards relevant and constructive activities at school and while at home. They should create an environment that makes him feel safe and secure –socially, emotional and physically.
They should show recognition and respect in order to support proper growth and development of his self esteem and self confidence and ego. For instance, they should seek his opinion on all family plans and matters where necessary. Doing so will make him feel that he too counts and that his parents has trust in his opinions and thoughts.
This will in turn encourage him to embrace and nurture a positive outlook towards life. They should also avoid attacking the person of Patrick and instead they should wisely attack problems facing their son consistently without letting emotions cloud their relationships with him.
They should maintain a healthy communication with their son and let him understand that they have faith in his ability to take care of himself in their absence (Taylor & Nixon, 2004).They should constantly guide him on how to chose friends wisely. Also they should let him know that they all doing all that is in their powers and ability in order to make sure, that he lives a comfortable life like others.
Therefore, they should be free to share with him about their incomes and financial challenges. This will in turn encourage him to share with them his fears, worries and hopes about his present and future life.
Conclusion
To conclude, the transitional stage between late childhood and early adolescence is characterized by a lot of changes during a child’s development. The level and sudden changes in a child’s behaviour and personality can be overwhelming for parents, teachers and the wider society.
However, if problems arising from this turbulent stage are noted earlier and handled with care and seriousness they require, parent and teachers can successfully manage social, biological, psychological, psycho-social and cognitive development of their children and instruct their students and children in good behavior as they approach young adulthood which also has its challenges.
Experts in psychology as well as educationists should investigate further on ways that can be used to minimize negative effects of natural calamities up on the social, biological, psychological, psycho-social and cognitive development growth and development of children when they occur.
Reference List
Herbert, M. (2005). Development Problems of Childhood and Adolescence: Prevention, Treatment. Victoria: Blackwell Publishing.
Holt, Larry C. and Kysilka, M. (2005). Instructional patterns: strategies for maximizing student learning. New York, NY: SAGE.
Meggitt, C. (2006). Child Development: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford: Heinemann Education Publishers.
Richardson, K. (2000). Developmental Psychology: How Nature and Nurture interact. London: MacMillan Press Ltd.
Schave, D., & Schave, B. (1989). Early Adolescence and the Search for Self: A Developmental Perspective. New York: Praeger Publishers.
Taylor, George R. & Nixon. (2004). Practical application of classroom management theories into strategies. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.