Jamshedpur, Dec. 9: Rahul Saxena, a class IX student, was once an obedient and quiet boy. But now he has frequent fits of rage and even challenges his father's authority. He rarely studies and stays out till late in the night.
Yamini Singh, a plus-two student, was one of the most popular girls in her school. But in the past few months, she has developed a habit of throwing objects at her family members and friends at the slightest provocation. Her friends have left her and she lives in isolation.
Sudhir Patnaik, an undergraduate, has injured many while riding his bike. But instead of feeling guilty he proudly narrates his “heroic” tales to his friends.
Rahul, Yamini and Sudhir are among the multitude of young people in the city who are suffering from behavioural problems. Psychiatrists feel the root of the problem lies in high expectations of parents and mounting peer pressure.
Sachin Sinha, a grade eight student, was taken to a psychiatrist when repeated attempts by his parents to improve his performance in school failed. “We took our son to a psychiatrist who told us that his friends were affecting his performance. My son’s friends are not good students and this undermined his desire to do well,” Sachin’s father said.
Senior psychiatrist at TMH A. K. Gupta said: “The city has undergone a sea-change since the last decade. Peer pressure is strong among young people nowadays. Children are expected to score high marks irrespective of their ability. But how can a child of average intelligence score high marks? This kind of pressure causes depression and anxiety among children which affects their performance.”
A child is expected to be jack of all trade and also, master of all, doctors said. Other than winning laurels in school, he is expected to win debates and quiz competitions. Parents have an endless list of expectations from their children, they said.
“Teenagers experience both physical and mental change. Parents generally ignore the likes and dislikes of teenagers and impose their own views on them which causes them to give vent to their frustrations through acts of violence,” said child psychologist Nidhi Srivastava.
The worst sufferers, she said, are the children of working parents who tend to compensate their absence by pampering their children with gifts. “These children have problems adjusting with kids of their age as they find something amiss in their behaviour,” she said.
The solution, psychiatrists feel, lies in understanding ones child and spending more time with him/her. “Before setting a benchmark it’s important to understand the capability of a child. If high marks is the expectation then a IQ test gives a clear picture of the child’s intelligence level. If the child shows changes in behavioural pattern then parents should immediately talk to him and give constant assurance that they are there for him/her,” said Gupta.
