Adolescent Behavior Disorders

Muhammad Iqbal

B.Sc(Punjab).,M.B.A.(Boston),6-Sigma Certification.

National Sales Manager ,Fasska

Abstract

Adolescence is a time for developing independence. Typically, adolescents exercise their independence by questioning, and sometimes breaking, rules. frequent episodes of fighting, truancy, and theft are much more significant than isolated episodes of the same activities. Other warning signs include deterioration of performance at school and running away from home. Of particular concern are adolescents who cause serious injury or use a weapon in a fight.

In the era up to 70’s in Pakistan parents had an authoritative role in the house .A strict discipline was maintained .People trained their children to live with the values like Respect,Quality,Integrity ,collaboration and Leadership.Teenage boys and girls used to pay respect to the elders. The performance in the schools was in most of the cases satisfactory.The students were given physical punishments on miner mistakes. On the basis disrespect to the teachers which was rare the student was expelled from the school.

In the mid 70’s a lot many workers left for Gulf and Mid east for jobs. These jobs brought a lot of petro dollars in the country. With the inflow of money values changed .Teachers also thought of making money . They established their private tuition centers .With these private tuition centers teachers stopped putting in their efforts in teaching in schools .Their major focus was their extra earning through private tuition centers. The teachers behavior changed in the class .They were more attentive to the students who were getting extra tuitions. This behavior of the teachers led to the deterioration in the education standards .

In 80’s government put a ban on physical punishment which further aggravated the situation. The students started misbehaving Respect of the teachers became a story of the past. With loss of respect ..teachers also lost their interest in developing the character and behavior of the students at the critical age when students inclind more towards freedom.

Domestic controls also weakened due to the absence of the father from the home…money was in abundance .Adolescent got every freedom and this money and freedom brought the basic changes in the society .Adolescent behavior disorders became very common in year 2000 onward. These disorders adopted paythological positions and the parents started seeking the help of the psychologists in the high class families while in the rural areas and less educated families without counseling the situations aggravated which resulted in depression and in suicidal episodes.

In a survey conducted by me in the schools of Rawalpindi (Pakistan) I interviewed almost 200 students both male and female. I found that approximately 15-20 % of the students in the teen age were suffering from Adolescent behavior disorders.

The most common symptoms were irritability, non compliance with the instructions of the teachers or parents, a decline in grades ,loss of interest in studies ,stealing ,fighting with class fellows or teachers, interest in sexual discussions ,anxiety,tension,absence from schools with no specific reasons.

I picked a group of 5 girl students and 5 boys for the counseling. I before starting the counseling interviewed the teachers . My conclusion was that in most of the cases the teachers complained about the behavior and on the basis of the negative attitude ignoring the students. Their major interest was the students with behavior disorders be expelled from schools.

I interviewed the parents who were with a huge pile of complains against their children. They had a point when they are providing them every facility they must perform well. Instead of listening to them …they were neglecting their adolescent children.

The major cause of these adolescent behavior was no time was spent on these boys or girls.The parents for weeks altogether had no opportunity of taking their children away from home for picnic or leisure trip which resulted in a gap between the parents and the children.

I planned the counseling session in consultation with the parents and arranged this for individual student away from his/her home in some picnic spot and allowed the student to express freely his thought and views . These type of sessions brought the students closer to their parents .In some of the cases I faced a great resistance in building a trust between the son /daughter and the parents.

My approach was not on giving advices but was listening to them and making them understandable. This type of counseling removed the iron curtain of hate spread between the parents and their children and helped me in moving fast to psychotherapy based on psycho analysis .

It was tough but interesting experience I gave them confidence, build their confidence and bridged the gap between the parents/teachers and the students.

One typical case is that of a girl who use to tell her parents whenever the parents asked her to behave ,”I’ll commit suicide” after the 3 sessions of counseling when I asked her when she plan to commit suicide …her reply was ,”Life is beautiful …with positive attitude you can make friends and can grow in every respect.

Conclusion

·        Adolescent behavior disorders are emerging as the major psychological problem not only in advance world but in the under developed world as well.

·        The causes may be different but one common cause of this major issue is on the part of the parents which are not managing the time for their children.

·        The needs of every child are different …..Every child must be treated in a different way.

·        Money can buy anything but not the peace of mind …in the race for becoming rich we are spoiling our children and are responsible for their psychological ailments.

·        This is a very crucial stage if time is not given to these children they may hook to narcotics or fall the victim of some criminals or terrorist groups .

·        They may seek refuge in religious extremism.

As a psychologist it should it should be our prime mission to help these adolescent to become productive members of the society.

Presenting author details

Full name: Muhammad Iqbal

Contact number: +92 333 5508759

e mail account       [email protected]

Linked In account:

Session name/ 3rd.International Conference on Clinical Psychology and Counselling

Category: (Oral presentation/ Poster presentation) Oral Presentation.

             Biography 

I had done my B.Sc. in 1968 entered into teaching profession and continued upto 1973. Joined pharmaceutical marketing .From 1976 -2011 worked as a Manager with Wyeth/Pfizer.I worked as a volunteer in King Edward Medical College …treating drug addicts and provided counseling and working as a psychologist treating adolescent bahaviour disorders.

Email: [email protected]