FACTORS LEADING TO MALADJUSTMENT BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS – CHILD GUIDANCE

FACTORS  LEADING  TO  MALADJUSTMENT  BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS – CHILD  GUIDANCE

                       Adjustment  refers to a condition or state in which one feels that one’s needs have been ( or will be) fulfilled and one’s behavior conforms to the requirements of his society and culture. A well adjusted  person is supposed to be physically , emotionally and socially adjusted, aware of his strength and limitations, respecting one’ self and others, keeping an adequate level of aspirations and possessing adequate philosophy of life. The over all adjustment of an individual with his self and environmental can be broadly divided into three categories, namely, personal, social and occupational adjustment. Personal adjustment is concerned with ones adjustment to his self. Social adjustment is concerned with ones adjustment to his social surroundings and occupational adjustment is concerned with one’s adjustment to his world of work and means of livelihood.

          MALADJUSTMENT

                           Maladjustment represents a condition or state in which one feels that one’s needs are not (or will not be) fulfilled and he has been a failure in establishing harmony with his self and the environment. Maladjustment always results from frustration caused by the non-satisfaction of the needs.

                           In the words of Herbert Sorenson “A person is not in harmony with his work if it is too hard or if the student has too hard or if the student has too little capacity excessive failure is experienced if it is too easy or if the student has too high ability for his work, the work is dull and dreading”

          Symptoms Of Maladjustment

                            The committee on maladjusted children (U.K) headed by J.E.A.Unnderwood, in its report in 1955 listed the following symptoms;

ÿ Nervous Disorders : Fears – anxiety, phobias. timidity, oversensitivity. Withdrawal – unsociability, solitariness. Depression-brooding, melancholy periods. Apathy- lethargy, unresponsiveness, no interests. Obsessions – rituals and compulsions. Hysterical fits – loss of memory.

ÿ Habit Disorders :  Speech –stammering, speech defects. Movements – twitching, rocking, head-banging, nail biting. Excretion – in continuance of urine and faces. Nervous pains and Paralysis – headache. Physical symptoms – asthma and other allergic conditions.

ÿ  Behavior Disorders : Unmanageable – defiance, disobedience, refusal to go to school or work. Aggressiveness – bulling, destructiveness, cruelty. Behavior – jealous, demands for attention, begging and stealing, lying and romancing. Truancy – wandering, staying out late. Sex difficulties – masturbation, sex play, homosexuality.

ÿ Organic Disorders : Conditions following head injuries, encephalitis or central tumors, epilepsy, chorea.

ÿ Psychotic Behavior : Hallucinations, delusions, extreme withdrawal, violence.

ÿ Educational and Vocational difficulties : Backwardness not accounted for by dullness. Unusual response to school discipline, inability to concentrate, to keep jobs.

Causes of Maladjustment

                  One remain adjusted as long as his basic needs get satisfied or he has some hope for their satisfaction in future. The moment he is denied the satisfaction of his needs  or gets despaired, he falls victim to the forces of maladjustment. The causes of one’s maladjustment  to his self and the environment may be both of personal as well as environmental nature.

Personal Causes : it includes;

Hereditary Factors : The individual may inherit the  defective mental make up, physiological structure, color of the skin, constitutional defects, incapacities making him feel depressed, inferior or causing one hurdle or the other in the way of proper satisfaction of his basic needs.

Physiological or Physical Factors : Physical or physiological factors like poor health, lack of validity, physical deformities, physical ailments, chronic diseases and bodily defects, etc. may drift one towards maladjustment.

 The causes Inherent In the Nature of The Individual : These causes are quite inherent in the nature and temperament of an individual;

Ø Unrealistic aims, goals and ideals of life.

Ø Lack of social maturity and adjustment.

Ø Lack of emotional maturity and control over the emotions.

Ø Improper setting of the level of aspiration.

Ø Unresolved conflicts and contradictory desires.

Ø Frustrations and desperations

Causes inherent in the nature of the Individual: In most of the cases, environmental forces are said to be the greatest or sole contributor in the generation as well as perpetuation of the cases of maladjustment prevailing in our society. The forces of environment begin to play their role right from the conception of the child in the womb of the mother in the form of defective nourishment available to him.

¯ Improper behavior of the parents and elders towards child.

¯ Uncongenial and defective home environment on account of the factors like frequent quarreling between the parents, their separation or divorce , loss of one or both the parental figures, unsocial or anti social behavior of the members of the family.

¯ The defective environmental conditions available in one’s neighborhood, community and society which may put hurdles in the proper satisfaction of one’s basic needs or may force him to pick bad habits for paving the way of his maladjustment to his self and others.

¯ The defective and uncongenial environment available in the school in terms of the behavior of teachers, peers, defective curriculum and methods of teaching, lack of co-curricular   activities, too much rigidity or rules, punitive measures, etc.

Detection Of Maladjustment

              

                    Maladjustment must always be taken as a red signal as it may lead child towards serious behavioral problems, mental illness and diseases. It always better to have its early detection and finds ways and means for its rectification.

{ Observation method.

{ Interview method.

{ Case history method.

{ Questionnaire and Inventory method.

{ Sociometric technique.

{ Projective technique.

Role of Teacher in the Process of Adjustment

 

                                A well adjusted individual is an asset to himself and a boon to the society where as  a maladjusted personality brings, misfortune to one’s self and discomfort to others.

G  Balanced growth and development : Child’s physical, emotional , mental, social and aesthetic development should be properly attended to. There should be perfect harmony and balance between the different aspects of growth and development.

G  Satisfaction of the basic needs : We must provide opportunities and give necessary assistance to the child for the solution of his basic needs.The degree of ones adjustment is directly proportional to one’s feelings of satisfaction with regard to one’s varying needs.

G  Awareness of strength and weakness : The child should be helped in realizing his strength as well as weaknesses and his limitations and shortcomings.

G  Setting a proper level of inspiration : The child should be helped in setting a proper level of aspiration, ideals and ambitions for going ahead in life.

G  Developing tension tolerance : We should be help children in developing tension tolerance in them they may not succumb under stresses and strain while facing the odds of life.

G  Harmony with the demands of Society and Culture : In order to help children in adjusting with the demands of the society and culture, teachers and parents should themselves try to practice the right ways and good habits.

G  Providing healthy Environment : Maladjustment is the product of faulty upbringing and uncongenial environment at home, school and other place of social contact . Therefore proper care should be taken by the teachers, parents and other responsible members of the society to provide healthy  environment to the children.

G  Provision of Guidance and Counseling :  In many cases children needs proper guidance in making right decisions or choices and proper selection with respect to their education, vocation and personal world. There should be proper arrange for the guidance and counseling in schools for helping children in adjustments with their problem.

Conclusion

                                        Maladjustment refers to the degree of disharmony between the person and his environment. A maladjusted person solves his problems usually in a destructive way and in this process disturbs social harmony. So curriculum should be life oriented and flexible to suit individual requirements. Methods of teaching should be selected based on the level of the people.