Discipline and Abuse from Adolescent Perspective

We are born into a world filled with diverse challenges and difficulties. It’s even more difficult when you don’t have your freedom as a child because of unforeseen predators, such as paedophiles and those who abuse children at any slightest opportunity.

Teenagers often have a difficult time balancing their academic goals, their desire to please their parents, and other issues. You have to struggle against the vices of peer pressure in addition to the regular scholastic stress.

Teenagers that experience peer pressure often find it to be quite dramatic and frustrating. I don’t know the right phrase to use for it, but it is a terrible and embarrassing experience to face as an adolescent. Then, child abuse, which is like an agonising form of torment meted out to anyone by a more powerful superior, is the absolute peak of it all.

The worst aspect of child abuse is when a child is victimised by someone they love and trust, such as family members or anyone so close to their family.

Come to think of it, why do children get abused? 

Is it about the appearance or the abuser just has a problem?

When RAPE occurs, the first thing to do is to access the victim and the perpetrator of the action because, most of our teenagers these days are very wild to the extent of tempting adults, and when what they seek is given to them, they call it ABUSE or RAPE.

For instance, as a parent you should try as hard as possible to provide for the child. If a father or mother does not provide for the child, the child may get the idea to ask the aunt or uncle for help, or even a posing caregiver. At this point, that child becomes vulnerable.

Aside sexual abuse, some other abuse people can perpetrate on a child include:

Verbal abuse:

As a parent, you must watch the way you address your child because words hurt, especially when you talk out of anger. They might not understand that you don’t mean what you say but, you just say it out of annoyance. For instance, if a father says to his child that he is a disgrace out of annoyance, the child will feel very bad but will not understand that, it was said out of annoyance. No matter how angry you are as a parent, you should watch what you say to your child because every word counts. Verbal abuse kills a child’s self-esteem and makes him looks incompetent.

Torture:

Torturing your child instead of discipline will further make the child go wild. The child may even contemplate committing suicide. Why do you think most teenagers commit suicide? It is when the parent or guardian tortures them. 

Physical abuse:

When a parent beats his child or inflicts injury on the body of his child all in the name of discipline, it can leave that child traumatised.

Emotional abuse:

The words you use in anger can emotionally abuse your child, which can hurt the youngster’s behaviour and character. It may also affect the child’s grade and his overall performance in school. As a parent you need to watch out. Words like ‘you are a disgrace’, ‘you are useless’, ‘you are a liar’, ‘you are a witch’, and ‘you are my pain’ should be avoided. These harsh remarks can be hard for children to bear. As a result, parents should be careful with the choice of words when addressing a child who behaves wrongly.

Do not prevent them from those they love. When you notice your child is always happy hanging with friends, do not try to stop them because it will only make them think you don’t want the best for them or you don’t want them to be happy. Most friends do bring out the best in most teenagers because experiencing another person’s life or their view is quite nice. I know as a parent you are afraid of your child being spoilt or exposed to corrupt things, as long as your child is not misbehaving, try to encourage child in a decent friendship. Do not be overprotective.

It is better to experience what your child is doing and correct him/her, because if you keep beating a child, it will get to the point where the child will make up his or her mind and go behind your back and do whatever he or she wants.

Be observant of what your child is doing and correct him/her rather than just beating. Remember, you will not always be there for them. They will still go to school, so it’s just left for you to keep correcting and praying for them.

Since no child is perfect, parent should continue to pray and have the belief that the child will develop into somebody that God has destined them to be.

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