One of the most crucial stages in the
lifespan of man is the adolescence. It
is essentially the stage that ultimately determines the outcome of a life.
Unfortunately it is often mismanaged because the custodians of this cohort both
teachers and parents often engage ineffective traditional training techniques
that have not essentially proven good. These folks cannot be managed through
trial and error methods because the future of a nation largely depends on how well
they are managed. The adolescent is
unfortunately saddled with a body that has all the embodiments of adulthood but
with a mind that is just growing and devoid of mastery that comes with years of
experience. The hormones are powerful chemicals that activate the secondary
sexual characteristics in the physical body that rushes them into ideological,
emotional, cognitive and religious tendencies that may be destructive when they
are not guided. The brilliant psychologist Jean Piaget described this period in
his cognitive theory as been dominated by hypothetico- deductive reasoning. The
adolescent is naturally equipped by nature to challenge the status quo because
he must make deductions of his hypothesis. He is naturally adventurous and
reckless at this point as he performs dangerous experiments to validate his
theories in the search for identity. The
craving for meaning although a lifelong preoccupation becomes an intense need
in the adolescent period. The desire for varied sexual adventures becomes very
strong because of the hormonal stimulation often times resulting in unwanted
pregnancies. This can result in dropping out of school if they do not die from
criminal abortion. Sigmund Freud has told us that the sexual drive is the underlying
driving force for all human activities. The
adolescent is caught between sexual suppression and expression but a critical
balance most times become elusive. They indulge in unprotected sexual escapades
that may predispose to hiv-aids and other sexually transmitted disease, which
is a leading cause of future infertility. When an immature physical body
delivers a baby, there could be damage to the birth canal and the urinary pathway
such that she may become incontinent of urine and obviously a candidate for mental
illness after childbirth. The craving for meaning in the adolescence spurs them
to join groups that offer fascinating answers to their questions. A good number
of them join violent groups in the attempt to define themselves socially, politically
and religiously. This predisposes them to abuse drugs, which impair judgment
and make them come up with all forms of anti-social behavior. They are prone to
injuries arising from physical assault as they indulge in fashions capable of
damaging their health. They drive
recklessly and many die from preventable motor accidents. A growing concern is
the issue of drug addiction especially marijuana with a good number being
initiated at very tender ages to this destructive habit. In the craving for meaning
and adventure, they experiment with drugs that give temporary sense of happiness
and escape from reality which has caused
frank mental illness in many while
majority irrespective of intellectual endowment remain a liability to their
families and unproductive for the rest of their lives. Most of them may never earn
a living and will not lead a family. The
intravenous drug users have an increased risk of contracting hiv-aids. A good number
squander family wealth in servicing their craving as they can sell any property
at a giveaway price. African traditional sex education approach has made sex an
object of curiosity and rebellion for adolescents just as the western media
projects sex unrealistically. The truth is that sexual intercourse is just a
segment of the whole concept of sexuality that embraces self-respect, self-worth
and self-dignity rather than a bargain involving the body in exchange for the
material. Our parents and teachers have overemphasized issues of sex without
viewing it as a component for achieving wholesome self-identity, which makes us
different from animals. The parents’ capacity to creatively engage the adolescent
of his evolving ideology as they guide him with their own proven fundamental
principles of life is crucial. Parenting is not a separate skill to learn in
the university but an unconscious manifestation of the level of development of
the parents. When the parenting function is not effectively engaging, the
adolescent seeks meaning outside of home. Parents need to
connect vitally to their children as they respond to changes in their lives and
seek to answer their questions. Teachers are crucial but they are no
substitutes. Balanced religious instructions may be helpful especially when
employed to answer their questions. We need to censor information inputs to our
children from immediate social environment and the media capable of frustrating
our parenting role. Prevention is actually the watchword as we seek help from
relevant professionals when there are issues.
Dr. Adeoye Oyewole
adeoyewole2000@yahoo.com
+234 803 490 5808 (Whatsapp only)
'We need to censor information inputs to our children from immediate social environment and the media capable of frustrating our parenting role.' I totally agree with this .
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