Adolescent behavioural problems



Adolescent is a young person in a transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. It is also a time to develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles.

Many of the health-related behaviours that arise during adolescence example, the increase with age in sexual and reproductive health problems, mental illness and injuries have implications for both present and future health and development.

Unhealthy Behavioural lifestyle of adolescent that needs special attention and necessary intervention are:

♦️ Masturbation

It is a genital stimulation for pleasure. The infants and toddlers do this out of pure curiosity, older children masturbate due to anxiety or sexual feelings.

Adolescent experience sexual excitement and erection of penis or clitoris followed by relief during masturbation.

Parents should be informed that masturbation is normal response during prepubescent and pubescent stage and has a role in physical and emotional development, it helps to ease their tension and development of sexual behavior.

In case of excessive masturbation, the child needs special attention, facilities for recreation and diversion, sex education and counseling.

♦️ Juvile delinquency

It means indulgence in offence by a child in form of purposeful, unlawful activities done habitually and repeatedly.

This behaviour includes lying, theft, burglary, truancy from school, run away from home, habitual disobedience, fight, ungovernable behaviour, destructive attitude, murder, sexual assault, etc.

This rebellious antisocial behaviour is the protests and response to the constant frustration, maladjustment, low self-esteem, lack of love and affection and emotional conflict.

To prevent this behaviour, you should eliminate the contributing factors, show them sympathetic attitude with necessary guidance and counseling for modification of behaviour.

♦️ Substance Abuse or Addict

It is a periodic or chronic intoxication by repeated intake of habit forming agents. it is a threatening social problem of school going and adolescent age group.

The abused agents are tobacco, alcohol, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, mood elevator, stimulants, opiates, cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

This persons need adequate facilities for recreation, channel their energies to constructive activities, provide mental health program and implement drug control measures.

♦️ Anorexia Nervosa

It is a eating disorder occurs often in adolescent girls as refusal of food to maintain normal body weight.

The affected adolescent girls practice vigorous exercise for weight reduction or induce vomiting by stimulating gag reflex to remain slim.

Such adolescent need psychotherapy, behaviour modification and nutritional rehabilitation, Hospitalization in complicated cases.

Source:

Parul Datta, third edition.

https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/development/en/

https://facebook.com/nwaiwu.esther