Classrooms have students of varied character profiles. While the majority of them are likely well-behaved, there may be a few that experience behavioural problems. Of them, those who are backward in studies may get the required attention. The others go unnoticed, even neglected or ridiculed. Interventions targeting this group are crucial to foster a better school atmosphere and prevent future mental health issues.
Disobedient, aggressive
There is a set of students who are disobedient, talk back to teachers, and express anger or aggression. This may be due to conduct disorder or oppositional disorder.
In a school situation, they may bully the weaker ones and may form gangs indulging in organised disruptive behaviour. Their vulnerability to substance or alcohol use disorders is high.
The roots of this behaviour may lie in an unhealthy family environment. It may be due to permissive, authoritarian, or neglectful parenting.
Discipline expected at school needs to be spelt out with clarity, and consequences, when violated, that induce a desire for correction, have to be enforced with consistency. It is important to give opportunities for the expression of positive qualities of such students.
Assign responsible tasks. When done well, they are to be encouraged. Collaborate with parents in the remedial mission. Mental health support needs to be given when needed.
Overactive, inattentive
Many teachers complain about overactive or inattentive students. Since they distract other students and even the teachers, they are branded as troublemakers in class. The student most likely will have an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that can be corrected with proper mental health intervention.
In the classroom, the student’s seat may be positioned in a space with lesser distraction and where the teacher can directly supervise. The learning assignments may be tailored for short attention spans and may be slowly enhanced as the student improves with treatment.
Anxious, gloomy
The gloomy, anxious, and emotionally unstable ones in the classroom are a source of worry. The trigger may be anything ranging from academic failure to relationship issues. There can be self-harming tendencies and suicidal behaviour.
Skills to identify them are important. They will need help from school counsellors. Expert attention is to be given if it is severe.
Screen addicts
Students glued to electronic screens of various types can pose challenges for school. Spending even the night-time online, the student may be sleepy or inattentive in class. There may be lapses in academic work.
Issues related to violation of discipline regarding mobile phones are reported. Students indulging in unsafe use may get into trouble due to connecting with strangers, sharing private pictures, sexual abuse, and cyberbullying. Online gaming addiction is also frequently reported.
A sensitive teacher can pick this up and probe further. It is important to frequently talk about judicious and responsible use of screens and safe digital practices. School-initiated interventions with a constructive alliance with parents will be beneficial.
Biggest challenge
The snorting, smoking, or boozing students are a real challenge to the school atmosphere. Many schools take the easy route of expelling the student, leaving their susceptibility for addiction alive.
These students are best initiated to abstinence at the same school. The use of drugs of abuse may be with recreational intent, due to peer pressure, or for stress reduction. A compassionate approach at school will motivate students to stop.
Teachers can initiate them to alternate healthy strategies to address the issues that triggered the use of addictive substances.
Alliance with parents
Interventions targeting these issues need to be planned in each school with active alliance with parents. The following principles shall be the foundation for the alliance:
* Accept that parents too have good intentions and are doing things in good faith. There may be errors in parenting. Never blame them; instead, help them to explore themselves to gain insight.
There are different dimensions to the student’s issue. Listen to parents to create an atmosphere that will generate a comprehensive understanding to facilitate appropriate interventions. Elicit views about strengths and weaknesses of the child. Let the teacher also describe the student without labelling.
* Let parents propose what they can do at home to address targeted behaviour. Offer what teachers can do at school. Let a psychologically rooted plan emerge.
* Never hesitate to appreciate parents if the plan yields good results. Never blame each other if there is no improvement. Mutually discuss where it went wrong and make corrections.
* Approach parents in a manner whereby they feel capable, comfortable, and competent to handle children. Criticisms in front of the child, either by teacher or parent, will weaken the alliance. Disagreements about the teacher’s or parent’s approach need to be discussed constructively and calmly with openness to correct.
(The writer is senior consultant psychiatrist, Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi, and former member of Kerala State Mental Health Authority)