Is counselling the engineering of the minds of children or just a scaffolding (support system)? (Part 1.8):

According to psychologists, a child is a developing being, parents have the right and responsibility to take care of them. As a child (minor), by law, children do not have autonomy or the right to make decisions on their own for themselves in any known jurisdiction of the world. Instead, their adult caregivers, including their parents, teachers and others, are vested with that authority, depending on the circumstances (IGNOU, N.D). This again opens up a big question, is counselling the engineering of the minds of children or just a scaffolding? This also gives us space to think of the role of a parent and caregiver in upbringing and character building of children.

In today's society, we are seeing an unprecedented need for counselling. The need for counselling in current times is also due to emerging disorders in children, one such disorder is Autism. In psychiatry Autism is defined as, an abnormal absorption with the self; marked by communication disorders and short attention span and inability to treat others as people (AED, N.D). The problems connected with autism are such that it might affect the normal schooling and socialization of the child. Thus this kind of emerging disorders also calls for counsellors in the school to help detect the disorder and adopt intervention measures. Autism or autism spectrum disorders are a complex developmental disorder when defined from the behavioural standpoint, with multiple aetiologies and varying degrees of severity (Figueiras, Souza, ríos, & Benguigui, 2012). Similarly, experts have identified many developmental disorders in children which has to be taken into consideration.

Are we discussing counselling in only an educational context? Is it enough to discuss counselling in educational settings, do we have to open up ourselves to examine the children who are placed out of school? Some of the places where children are exposed to challenging situations are industries, hospitals, juvenile centres, and like. Do we have to look at the child’s safety, security and wellbeing at all the environments where the child is engaged?

Currently, in urban India, there is a lot of emphases given to school counselling, which is very helpful in supporting a child’s mental health and other special needs. The committees like ‘Raghavan Committee’ have emphasised counselling practice. And also it is very evident from the CBSE board mandating the appointment of a counsellor in schools. Even after mandating most of the schools do not have counsellors yet.

There are other participants like teachers, parents and principals who can also be like an informal counsellor to the child once they are oriented into these skills. It is important for us to deeply look at the psychological, social and cultural aspects of counselling, how it can help us to balance healthy human growth.

From ages, the family system and the community structure and bond has created a lot of difference in people’s lives. The changing family structure and the evolving social trends with an almost failed traditional support system has created a gap for fulfilling the physical, psychological and social needs of the child stressing the need for an alternative support system to meet the needs of the child (Kodad and Kazi, 2014). It’s time for us to pause and think, will the school counselling alone solve the challenges faced by our children.

Counselling as a profession is definitely a concept developed at western countries’ context. Indian society with its strong family bonds and a warm community feeling and spiritual essence has for ages providing the shock absorbers in times of crisis and a support system to deal with the various psychosocial issues (Kodad and Kazi, 2014).

Further reading:

The emerging area of Counselling in Schools in India

http://www.midnaporecollege.ac.in/RemoteClass/counselling.pdf

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This is part of Children's mental health and wellbeing series brought to you by Credence Learning Foundation. This article is taken from a study submitted as course work at Azim Premji University.

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