Child psychologists have called for more research into the mental
health of students, in the wake of recent reports that several
teenagers in east China's Zhejiang Province had deliberately hurt
themselves in protests against their parents or to simply vent
their stress and anxieties.
Xiaoqiang, a first-grader at a junior high school in the provincial
capital Hangzhou, kept banging his head on the wall when his
parents demanded he stay home to study the whole of the six-week
summer vacation. "I'll die right here in front of you if you don't
let me out to play" was all the 13-year-old had to tell his
parents.
Though Xiaoqiang was not badly hurt, his grief-stricken parents
failed to understand why their son had suddenly become
"insane".
Five other teenagers were hospitalized this summer at the Litongde
Hospital in Hangzhou with similar mental problems. Starting with
trivial issues -- such as their parents turning down a request for
a new computer -- they had reacted wildly, such as smashing the
television or threatening to jump from their high-rise
buildings.
What triggers their irrational behavior?
Zhu Xiaohua, a psychotherapist with the No. 7 People's Hospital in
Hangzhou, said children around 13 and 14 years old were still
underdeveloped physically and mentally, and they desperately sought
attention from their families, teachers and peers.
"However, they tend to think they are grown up enough to make their
own decisions," said Zhu, also member of a national committee on
children's mental health. "If their parents neglect these changes
and continue to treat them like kids, they may get hurt and
confused and even lose control of their behavior."
Improved parenting could help solve many juvenile psychological
problems, said Miao Jianyun, an official in charge of children's
work at the provincial women's federation.
He
cited the example of an 11-year-old girl whose parents were not
happy with her excess spending. But instead of blaming her, the
girl's parents put all the family's cash in a certain drawer, where
anyone of the family could take as much as they needed, but had to
make a note each time of how the money was spent.
After a few months, the girl not only learned to avoid unnecessary
spending, but also reminded her parents when and where they could
have saved.
"When the child is involved in the family's financial management,
he can learn to budget properly, have a better sense of
responsibility and become more mature," said Miao.
Poor parenting, on the other hand, can affect children's mental
health, experts say.
Xiaoli, a 16-year-old girl, was fed up with her parents' endless
quarrels and cut her wrists in protest. Fortunately, her parents
found out in time to save her life.
Teenagers were the most sensitive and fragile members of the
family, said Zhu Xiaohua.
"They get hurt easily by such conflicts as quarreling, tense family
relations and the divorce of their parents," he said. "Most
children would simply cry or refuse to eat as a way of protest, but
some may go to extremes as to hurt themselves or commit
suicide."
Democracy, mutual respect and better communication within the
family were important to children's mental health, said Zhu, who
insisted that parents should "bow to look their children in the eye
and treat them as equals".
To
help parents maintain a caring and loving home environment, the
provincial women's federation and education department have
tailored special training programs for parents of pre-schoolers and
primary and secondary school students. Nearly 95 percent of the
local media have special columns to promote proper parenting
skills.
Schools and communities, on the other hand, should also help
children solve their problems in time to ensure their mental
health, experts say.
( September 9, 2002)