THE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILD
Chapter
20
THE
EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILD
The Chapter at a Glance
Need
for understanding and guidance.
Causes
of emotional disturbances.
The
responsibility of the teacher.
Guidance
and treatment.
An
emotionally disturbed child presents another group of problems for a teacher.
He is 'naughty', mischievous, troublesome and difficult to manage in the
class. His aggression, anger, rage, etc., seem to be utterly out of his
control. His temperament is fiery and inconsistent. Describing such a child, Burt* says:
"First
one impulse, then another, then a third, each contradictory to the last, and
each successively excited by the changing situations of the moment, explodes
forth into action. And the life of the unstable child becomes a series of
discontinuous fulminations, like the pops of a Chinese cracker."
Need for Understanding and Guidance
Such a
child proves immensely troublesome for his classmates as well as the teacher.
He must be adequately understood and properly guided for his own interests and
for the larger interests of the class.
Details of
the various forces that contribute towards different kinds of emotional
maladjustment have been discussed in a previous chapter on Emotional
Development. In the present chapter the emphasis will centre round the
educational implications of understanding and helping the emotionally disturbed
child. An attempt will be made to see what is the teacher's responsibility and
role in achieving this end.
Causes of Emotional Disturbances
A child
might become a victim of emotional disturbances on account of a number of
internal and external factors. An understanding of such causes proves useful
for any person who endeavors to help emotionally disturbed children. Some of
the prominent factors leading to emotionally disturbed behavior are as
follows:—
(1) The
organic factors.
(2) The
psychological factors.
(3) The
sociological factors.
(4) The
social factors.
(5) The
environmental factors.
(6) The
economic factors.
(1) The Organic
Factors: Certain bodily factors might become responsible for emotional
disturbances. Endocrine imbalance and glandular changes are the most common
bodily causes of emotional troubles.
In some cases, certain states of the body also give rise to
disturbances in the emotional equilibrium of a child. Thus prolonged disease,
continuous bodily strain or stress, organic conditions consequent upon
nutritional deficiency, etc., may also cause emotional disturbances. Such
disturbances might range from mild trouble like temper tantrums to violent
outburst of anger and aggression, altercations, heated disputes, etc.
(2) The
Psychological Factors: Often purely psychological factors also cause
emotional upheavals. One's ideas, attitudes, prejudices, likes and dislikes,
modes of reaction to success and failure and a host of other mental factors are
very frequent and significant causes in disturbing one's emotional life.
(3) The
Sociological Factors: Emotional and economic atmosphere of the family
counts much in determining the child's emotional health. A family where the
parents lead a disturbed emotional life are always arguing and wrangling, so
that there appears to be almost a state of war between them all the time,
affects the emotional health of the children very adversely. An unfortunate child
in such a disturbed family is most liable to develop undesirable emotional
traits similar to those of his parents.
Similarly,
a child from a broken home or any other type of emotionally unhealthy home is
very likely to be emotionally disturbed. On the other hand, a child hailing
from an adjusted home environment, with plenty of affection and physical comfort,
has relatively less chance to lose his emotional equilibrium.
(4) The Social
Factors: Even the general social environment, in which a child moves,
affects his emotional health favorably or adversely. If the street the child
lives in, the school he studies at, the children he mixes with and other people
he comes into contact with are predominantly suspicious, worrying, quarrelsome,
angry, hostile and inclined to flare up into sudden fits of rage, the child can
hardly remain immune to their emotionally disturbing influences.
(5) The Environmental Factors: The physical environment is also considerably
potent on its ability to color one's emotional health. A desirable, healthy and
aesthetically appealing atmosphere is soothing and comforting. It is liable to
promote emotional harmony and balance. An unhealthy environment, on the
contrary, can become a source of many emotional upsets and disturbances. By
their very filthy layout, stinking slums, dirty lanes, overcrowded and
unhygienic housing accommodation, even unfavorable climate, etc., commingled
with other factors, can be conducive to a variety of emotional disturbances.
(6) The Economic Factors: Economic want has
been noticed to be a frequent source of emotional unrest. We often compare the
ill-tempered tone of a hostile individual to that of a 'hungry person.' A
satiated person, on the other hand, seems to be less liable to emotional
provocations and disturbances. Children living in abject poverty have less
chance to enjoy emotional equilibrium than those enjoying a freedom from
economic want.
It may,
however, be remembered that, an emotional disturbance is not usually aroused by
any one single of the foregoing causative factors. It is more often caused by
a number of factors working together and producing a particular form of
emotionally disturbing behavior.
The Responsibility of the Teacher
It is
needless to re-emphasize that the presence of an emotionally disturbed child
in a class-room is liable to endanger the emotional health of the entire class.
A teacher must, therefore, pay immediate heed to the difficulties of the
emotionally disturbed child.
If the
teacher endeavors to keep the general atmosphere of the class cheerful,
harmonious and co-operative little occasions will arise for any serious
emotional disturbances. Thus if the instruction is interesting, the class work
is stimulating, ample provision is made for engaging extra-curricular
activities, etc., children will be less inclined to be emotionally disturbed.
On the contrary, if these desirable elements are absent from the class-room
atmosphere, the chances for various manifestations of emotional disturbance are
multiplied.
Helping an Emotionally Disturbed Child
A teacher
must, therefore, leave no stone unturned to understand and treat the emotional
difficulties of the troublesome pupils. Some of the specific methods of dealing
with an emotionally disturbed child are as follows:—
(1)
Re-education for improved emotional behavior.
(2)
Development of insight.
(3)
Removal from disturbing environment.
(4)
Developing emotional immunity.
(5)
Catharsis.
(6)
Emotional education through sports.
(1) Re-education for
Improved Emotional Behavior: This method consists in encouraging
the emotionally disturbed child to think things through critically in the light
of a new and effective method which replaces an old and ineffective one. He is
so re-educated as to enable him to make an improved approach to persons and
situations arousing emotional disturbance in him.
(2) Development of Insight: After development of insight regarding disturbing persons, places
or events stimulates one to approach them more reasonably. A teacher could help
a child to develop such an insight into situations that purport to disturb his
emotional equilibrium. The disturbed child should be helped to concentrate on
the positive and salient aspects of the situation with a view to making an
improved and socially desirable approach towards it.
(3) Removal from
Disturbing Environment: Often transferring an emotionally
disturbed child from one section to another or from one school to another helps
him tremendously. A changed social situation in the new environment encourages
him to make a better readjustment to persons, events and situations.
(4) Developing
Emotional Immunity: An emotionally annoying experience or situation
frequently loses its violently disturbing nature if one gets used to it through
repetition, familiarity, un-mindfulness, etc. Thus when a child becomes
accustomed to certain undesirable persons, places or events through constant
association with them he is desensitized towards them. Loss of sensitivity
towards them eliminates his earlier emotionally disturbing reaction towards
them. The child becomes emotionally immune to disturbances arising from those
stimuli.
(5) Catharsis: Catharsis means 'purge' or a ‘release’. An emotional disturbance
usually originates from mental tension. If a proper outlet is provided for the
tension the emotionally disturbed behavior usually disappears. Thus if a
violently angry child could be persuaded to express his anger in words or in socially
approved aggressive activities, e.g., boxing, wrestling, debating, etc., much
of the angry behavior is liable to cool down. It has been commonly observed
that such cathartic activities, providing an appropriate release for pent-up
emotions, introduce elements of peace and calm in the life of many a disturbed
child.
(6) Emotional
Education through Sports: Children have in them a surplus amount
of energy. If adequate and desirable outlets for this overflowing fund of
energy are not available, it is liable to take unhealthy directions, e.g.,
emotional disturbances and other forms of troublesome behavior.
Sports and
indoor and outdoor recreations can do a tremendous lot in this direction.
Their soothing and educative effect on the personality of the child cannot be
exaggerated. An emotionally disturbed child can be helped immensely if he is
encouraged to participate in school games and various other sporting
activities.
A teacher
should, therefore, see that all children, especially the emotionally disturbed
once get ample and adequate opportunities to participate in that school's
extra-curricular life. Such participation is bound to have a very desirable
effect on the emotional health of the disturbed children.
These are
some of the commonly used methods of helping the emotionally disturbed child. A
teacher may try them with a troublesome pupil in his class.
Effect of Teacher’s Own Emotional
Health
It may,
however, be remembered that if a teacher himself is emotionally disturbed he is
liable to ruin rather than improve the emotional health of the children. Just
think for a moment of a hot-headed teacher; one who is ill-tempered, fussy and
punitive all the time. Such a teacher is liable to aggravate rather than
alleviate the plight of a child who is already emotionally disturbed.
A teacher
must, therefore, endeavor to improve his own emotional health. He must avoid
angry, violent and irritating modes of behavior in the class-room at least in
order to promote the emotional health of his pupils. By behaving in such a way
that he sets up always before their eyes the example of an emotionally adjusted
person and a 'jolly good fellow', he is most likely to eliminate emotional
inadequacies from the behavior of the students. He is bound to inspire them
with his appreciable emotional traits and attitudes.
Referral to a Child Guidance Clinic
A seriously emotionally disturbed child needs specialized treatment.
An average school teacher does not possess the……………..
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