Doctor advises parents to 'connect and correct' children with violent behavior
MANILA, Philippines — Violence among Filipino youth has been noticeably growing the past several months and making national headlines.
Many of these incidents have occurred in schools, some of them resulting in casualties including the perpetrators.
According to Dr. Constantine L. Yu Chua, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist from Makati Medical Center, "There is no exact reason why violence occurs in children or teenagers."
In his opinion, violence among youth stems from a combination of factors, rather than a singular cause. He listed down three: biological, psychological, and social factors.
Flags and factors
Biological factors, or mental disorders, can affect a person's self-control, mood, social perception, and judgement.
The underdevelopment of crucial psychological skills like emotional regulation, problem solving, decision making, and empathy can contribute to psychological factors, such as antagonistic attitudes (seeing peers and authority as enemies), dehumanization, and hopelessness for the future.
Violence in communities — whether home or school — can normalize such behavior. Children who are bullied or abused may want to respond in the same manner.
Lacking connection and social support mean less incentive to behave in a socially constructive manner. Meanwhile, access to weapons give individuals ideas they can take action.
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For the longest time, online games and consoles have been implicated in encouraging violent behavior, only to be aggravated by sensationalized reporting and influence.
Dr. Yu Chua pointed out that a person can be exposed to these circumstances but one can maintain a sound mind and attitude in the presence of the following: meaningful relationships and connections, a sense of purpose and connection, and engaging in intervention.
The doctor advised parents to be sensitive to the tendency of aggressive or violent behavior in kids. Clear red flags to look out for a pattern of conduct problems like smoking, drinking, stealing, vandalizing, and bullying.
Plans to inflict harm on another person should be taken seriously. In some cases, the youth "do not feel guilt or empathize with other people" and "they do not respond to the usual means of discipline."
Some children do recognize their behavior and want to change but are repeatedly overwhelmed by their emotions and lose control.
Addressing the issue
Dr. Yu Chua assured that kids struggling with aggressive behavior is not an insurmountable challenge to overcome as he believes understanding their behavior and dispensing appropriate disciplinary action can be done simultaneously.
He describes this approach as "connect and correct," that is to understand children and validate them but giving them consequences or lessons.
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"Others tend to correct [bad behavior] right away, so it's not as effective. And just because we understand what they're going through doesn't mean we let go of their negative actions," said the doctor. "Moreover, punishment isn't the only form of discipline, reinforcing good behavior is a bigger part of it."
Drawing from his experience as a child psychiatrist, it is often teens that tell their parents about their problems, and parents urged to these calls for help.
A certified psychiatrist can perform an evaluation to determine the state of a patient's mental health. These entail clinical interviews, psychological testing, and lab tests to rule out an underlying physical condition.
Treatment can range from counseling and talk therapy to the medication prescriptions, dependent on evaluation findings.
"Sometimes, counseling alone is not enough if there is a mental health disorder that contributes to violence," explained Dr. Yu Chua. "And medication alone is not enough because they need to change their thinking, their behavioral patterns, develop their skills for self-control, problem-solving, and socializing. A combination is the best."
Family members, friends, and teachers should also get involved as they form what truly transforms an at-risk child to feel calm, secure, seen, and loved, therefore changing for the better.
The doctor advises modelling good behavior by showing children how to deal with stress and problems without resorting to violence, acknowledging that anger is natural but there are healthy ways to express it.
He also suggests building relationships as it will be less likely for the youth to be violent when they know another person loves, supports, and will talk to them.
Creating opportunities to be productive and kind to others can also have a transformative effect.
"It's the opposite of violence. When you’re helping others and you're able to accomplish good things, you can walk further away from violence," Dr. Yu Chua ended.
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