There
are many issues and ailments that plague today’s society and many of those occurrences are happening under the radar. There are various institutions that will go to great lengths to play down or cover up anything that may be perceived as untoward happenings in an effort to appear respectable, but the truth is, the problems that young people are facing here in Guyana and the world over are unfortunately not just a passing fad and they will not go away if ignored.
When you witness an institution; namely schools, bringing in intervention or education about what may be a taboo subject, it is not to say they are experiencing it more than any other, it is to say they care more about providing their students with the support they need than they do about their reputation. I for one applaud them and implore that they make it a regular occurrence.
If we are honest, most parents or family members have heard stories of certain goings on in most of our schools. Maybe it is not talked about openly or dealt with accordingly but we know it’s there. The point is, young people from all walks of life experience difficulties and they are searching their souls for a way forward, a way to cope or a way to fit in. With this can come issues and problems. Poor judgment, experimentation and misunderstanding naturally lead them to make mistakes that can adversely affect them and their development.
It is not a weakness to address issues that your students present. We are well aware that money and prestige do not eliminate ill-informed choices and poor behaviour. The same problems that face the teenager travelling on a bus to a low achieving school face the teenager in an expensive car on his way to a high achieving private school. If we take our responsibility as parents, carers and teachers seriously, the bottom line is to identify, educate and reduce the problems and the pain our children will feel no matter how it affects reputation or standing.
One issue that has been recognised for a long time now but seems to have moved out of what has been described as its “fad stage” is self-harm. People harm themselves in many ways, including cutting or burning, pulling out hair, hitting their bodies against something, drinking heavily or taking excessive amounts of drugs. People of all ages, gender, religious beliefs and culture self-harm. It reflects an inability to cope with emotional pressure – not poor parenting or schooling.
There are many reasons why people self-harm and the meaning for each person is unique but it is very often a way of dealing with very difficult thoughts and feelings and are often kept secret. This makes it extremely difficult to accurately formulate statistics regarding the practice and more importantly, to talk to as many young people as possible about the dangers, other ways of expressing themselves and alternative coping mechanisms.
There are however, some young people who do not keep it quiet; they can become involved in groups, searching for understanding and they expose the practice to be like others, to be recognised and to feel a sense of belonging. Either way, this cannot be dismissed as a fad and needs tackling. It needs to be recognised that self-harm is used as a coping strategy towards any emotional burden or upset they may be experiencing or have experienced in the past. It is, generally, not a sign of suicidal tendencies but that is not to say that people who self-harm do not go on to have suicidal thoughts or behaviour. More likely it is used to turn emotional pain into physical pain so it is was easier to cope with and brings a sense of temporary relief to the sufferer.
Schools are the perfect forum to reach mass amounts of young people and with support, they should strive to make mental health intervention and prevention part of their curriculum. Talking about issues and educating both students and teachers can greatly reduce the incidents and can also open communications for those struggling to cope. Educating parents to look for danger signs and ways of supporting their children will also go a long way in dealing with this issue.
It is almost impossible to eliminate the stresses and apprehensions the uncertainties and worries from life. Young people are bombarded with so many issues these days they can be confused and scared. We need to offer them successful ways of coping with those difficulties, and we need to raise our own levels of understanding to find successful ways to do this.
