Aishwarya Iyer
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Written By: Aishwarya Iyer | Updated : August 1, 2018 4:38 PM IST
Nishant Rathore, 14, (name changed) used to beat up other kids in class. Once, while his class teacher asked him to get out of the class for disturbing others, he broke the window pane. That was the time that his parents were notified and they immediately took him to a psychiatrist. "I realized that he had grown up seeing an abusive father. After thorough counselling and few medications, Nishant was much better," said Dr Avinash Desousa, consulting psychiatrist and co-founder of the Desousa foundation.
How common is this?
"We see various such cases these days. These children may have had some injury or psychological scar in their childhood that may have led them to express aggression by being abusive. Many-a-times, these children also learn from the abusive behaviour of their parents," added Dr Desousa.
What could be the reasons for childhood aggression?
1) An abusive family could be a reason.
2) If not a factor within the family, these could either be conduct disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). In ODD, usually, the child will not comply with the rules of family, will be disrespectful towards elders, throw tantrums if their wishes are not fulfilled.
Sometimes children with ODD have unreasonable demands and parents can't fulfill them. So these kids rebel by threatening to run out of the house or giving bad words or throwing items," explained Dr Sagar Karia, secretary of Bombay Psychiatric Society.
3) A conduct disorder is a set of different anti-social behaviours that your child may exhibit. In conduct disorder the situation is worse. These children have a history of truancy, manipulative behaviour, beating other children, breaking articles in anger, harming animals and birds, stealing, lying and blaming others for their mistakes. They might even sexually abuse someone.
4) Underlying conditions such as depression or anxiety etc.
Treatment
"Treatment in ODD is by behaviour therapy in which parents are counselled. We ask the parents to stay firm on their decision without beating or scolding the child. We ask the parents to not get affected by the tantrums of the child. However reinforcing positive behaviour is important," added Dr Karia. In case of conduct behaviours, medicines are given to control the anger outbursts. In case of anti-social activities like sexually abusing someone, the children are sent to remand homes too.
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