Care of Girl Children with Behavioral Difficulties

1. Care of Girl Children with Behavioral Difficulties

2. Manner of conducting oneself or an observable activity in response to external or internal stimuli. YAR; 2.3.14

3. Societal Demands Good Mature Bad Immature Children have difficulties that prevent them from behaving appropriately. YAR; 2.3.14

4. From childhood onwards society will begin to make efforts to shape girls as women. • Ex: Temper tantrums – Appropriate for boys Fear, jealousy and affection - Girls YAR; 2.3.14

5. Precursors those result as behavioral difficulties in Girl children • Biological • Developmental • Cultural YAR; 2.3.14

6. Biological (Complex) ODD ADHD CD lying, truancy, running away, substance abuse, prostitution and nonconfrontational (DSM _ IV) Inattentiveness: Dreaminess Forgetfulness etc. (DSM-IV) YAR; 2.3.14

7. Developmental • Abuses / Trauma - Ex: Sexual Abuse YAR; 2.3.14

8. Cultural Experiencing and expression of emotions • Emotional experience and expressions are culturally conditioned • Anger • Guilty for feeling angry • Passive ways of expression • Active expressions – unaware – Impulsive YAR; 2.3.14

9. Desiring connection and approval girls begin to idealize their actions and their relationships with other girls by denying the conflicts, meanness or unkindness etc. Hence it is very important to help them communicate their anger without developing passive ways or active outbursts (Mikel Brown & Gilligan, 1992) YAR; 2.3.14

10. Fear • Early childhood more localized • As they grow in age fear becomes more abstract and develop tension and anxiety • Teenagers – a way of evading responsibility if there is risk • Societal reinforcement Help them to become more self reliant YAR; 2.3.14

11. Sadness / Depression • Girls tend to feel and verbalize ‘sad / depression’ easily. Example: “I am already depressed, please don’t irritate me.” Etc Behavioral expressions: Sleeplessness, lack of appetite, disinterestedness in everything, low energy etc., Self blame – help them to feel responsible (Response – Able) YAR; 2.3.14

12. Gender norms • Gilligan (1982) - Women are oriented towards attachment and “connectedness” whereas men towards individuation and separateness from others • Socialization - being feminine as submissive, sacrificial, patient, tolerating • Bhogle (1999) - Hindu tradition and culture define women within a matrix of interpersonal roles. YAR; 2.3.14

13. Co-dependence Codependents are good persons, devoted to take care of others. The problem is it happens at the expense of self The characteristics are: • Low self worth and find meaning in making self indispensable to others • Sufferers – putting others first • Servers – end up over burdened and exhausted YAR; 2.3.14

14. Indirect demands - oppressive means of controlling and being controlled • Whispering, telling secrets, making fun of and laughing at others as ways to prevent them from risking too much or acting in threatening ways at the same time expressing their inner world. YAR; 2.3.14

15. Behaviors • Indirect ways of communication • Manipulative behaviors • Attention seeking behaviors YAR; 2.3.14

16. The right to say ‘no’. The freedom to say ‘yes’ • Respect feelings—voice them • Acceptance of difference • Permission for expression----dialogue. YAR; 2.3.14

17. We need to educate girls especially about real values and the impact of their behaviors on their future. • We need to give sex education and teach them to manage attractions and emotions • Help them not to idealize and hold on to natural processes – encourage to grow up • Helping the girls and youngsters to understand societal gender norms and to respond to them with understanding. Let us help girls to appreciate self, develop proper beliefs about self, other and the world; so that they celebrate life by moving towards being interdependent than dependent; assertive rather than submissive YAR; 2.3.14

18. THANK YOU YAR; 2.3.14