The Hindu Business Line : Lack of guidance leads teenagers astray: Experts

DISAPPEARANCE of the joint family system, exposure to violence and sex through the electronic media and films are responsible to a great extent for the perversion of adolescents in today's society, according to experts.

At a workshop on `Problems of adolescence and growing up in an open society/global society' organised by Saurakshika, a children's rights protection society, here on Sunday, Dr R. Jagadambika, a eminent psychologist, said that the joint family system was an ideal environment for building mental health.

She said this system had nearly disappeared in Kerala now. Living styles have changed , and parents find no time to interact with adolescents, who are exposed to violence, sex and all kinds of perversions.

Dr Jagadambika said that during teenage, boys and girls were vulnerable to all kinds of pressures. They can be easily carried away by persuasion and peer pressure.

Therefore, proper guidance must be given to the adolescents by parents and the teachers, she said.

Presiding over the function, Justice (retd) C.S. Rajan, President, Saurakshika, said that these days the children did not enjoy freedom even at home.

Parents decide what the children must study, and in many cases, the decision is contrary to the children's aptitude and interest. This creates conflict in their mind. And when they reach the adolescent stage, they become rebelliousness, he said.

They fall a prey to anti-social elements like drug traffickers. Given this, parents have an important role to play, he pointed out.

Prof P.R. Venkitaraman, an academic and career consultant, said children lacked self-confidence, and it reflected in their abilities. At present, to secure a career, extra-curricular abilities accounted for 70 per cent while academics made up for only 30 per cent. Currently, there are over 22,000 options before the students of study.

But students must choose their own careers instead of their parents deciding for them. For this, boys and girls must be guided properly to boost self-confidence, individuality and integrity, he said.

But, what to be selected for building up build up a career should have to be decided by the student instead of their parents and for which the young boys and girls needed to be guided to build up self-confidence, individuality and integrity, he said.

Others who spoke included Mr C.K Suresh, social scientist, Prof Thuravoor Vishwambharan, Mr Sasisankar and Advocate Madanan Pillai, General Secretary, Saurakshika.