Question

A 15-year-old boy Nitin is usually the topper of a class but his grades have been dropping recently. He has also been irregular to school in the past few months. What action should be taken by his guardians to get to the root of his altered behaviour?
I. Closely monitor other behavioural changes in Nitin.
II. Give him freedom and space to sort out his own problems.
III. Seek help from one of Nitin’s close friends to help him vent out his problems.
IV. Be strict with him and pressurise him to reveal the reason behind his deteriorating academic performance.

• A. I and II
• B. II and IV
• C. I and III
• D. Only IV

Answer 1

The correct option is C I and III

The transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood is called adolescence. Approximately the period between 12-18 years of age is considered to be the adolescent phase of an individual’s life.

15-year-old Nitin is an adolescent who must be undergoing various physical and emotional changes during this period. These changes make his mind highly vulnerable to any form of societal influence or pressure around him.

Adolescents of his age are often unable to cope with the mental stress that they go through as their thoughts, perceptions and emotions evolve from being childish to being matured. This leads them to resort to bad habits like drug/alcohol abuse to escape from reality and achieve a false sense of temporary euphoria and wellbeing.

Some of the reasons which trigger adolescents to resort to drug and alcohol abuse are -
- Unnecessary pressure from parents to excel in studies or sports.
Imposition of decisions and dismissal of their wishes and ambitions which results in depression, anxiety.
- Peer pressure and the desire to be perceived as ‘cool’ and adventurous.
- Curiosity of experimenting.
- Desire of experiencing thrill and adventure.

Deterioration of academic performance and irregularity in school are some of the warning signs that should be looked out for to identify drug or alcohol abuse in adolescents. As Nitin manifests these signs, his parents should take necessary steps to deal with the situation.

Some of the steps that can be taken are
- Closely monitoring other warning signs, such as depression, increased aggressiveness, etc, in his behaviour to ensure the reason behind his sudden drop in grades.
- Seek help from Nitin’s trusted friend or any family member who is close to Nitin to have a discussion with him and help him vent out his troubles.
- They can also seek professional counselling and psychological advice to help Nitin get out of the vicious cycle of addiction.

Letting Nitin deal with such problems alone or unnecessarily pressuring him to speak out can only worsen the situation as adolescents like Nitin take it as a violation of their privacy, individuality and sense of independence.