FIVE ROOT CAUSES OF BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS
There are many reasons why people behave the way they do, which boils down to psychology. By psychology, I mean how the mind function and how it affects behaviour. Behaviours are an integral part of a person and are formed in the early life of that person. In this article, you will discover the five root causes of behavioural problems.
WHAT ARE BEHAVIOURS?
Behaviours are the ways a person acts and interacts with other people. These behaviours form an individual’s character when they are repeated over and over. While character means the distinctive qualities of a person. For example, temperaments. Someone could be sanguine, melancholy, choleric etc. These are qualities that contribute to the five root causes of behavioural problems.
WHEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL’S CHARACTER FORMED?
An individual’s character is formed between the age of four to five. This is why parents need to pay close attention to their children’s behaviour at this early age to know why they behave the way they behave and encourage them to change. The reason is when a person’s character has already formed, it results to the lifestyle of that person also known as a prototype. Once a child has passed this early age, it becomes difficult to change.
FIVE ROOT CAUSES OF BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS
1. CRITICAL PARENTING
A child who experiences critical parenting will grow into an adult deprived of love and will result in low self-esteem. To compensate for the low self-esteem, such an adult will take on a superiority complex. An adult who has superiority complex puts other people down so they can feel good about themselves. This experience could also lead to personality disorders such as being arrogant and aggressive.
2. CHILDHOOD ABANDONMENT
A child who experienced childhood abandonment by both or either parent will grow into an emotionally unavailable adult. As such, will find it very difficult to maintain a healthy love relationship because they cannot trust and believe they will be disappointed by their partner. This creates suspicion in their love relationship.
3. THE CHILD’S POSITION IN THE FAMILY
A child who has always had the attention of the parents but notices that such attention shifted due to the birth of another sibling will become withdrawn or seek attention by exhibiting problem behaviours. The problem here means not doing what is expected of them and purposely doing the wrong things to gain attention.
4. THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
A child could become traumatised by the death of a loved one which then affects their lifestyle. This could sometimes be advantageous. For example, a child growing up to be a doctor because of this childhood experience.
5. A SPOILT CHILD
A spoilt child will find it difficult to pamper their partner in a relationship, and if they end up with another spoilt child, both of them would seek to be pampered rather than being the pamperer. This creates conflict in a relationship or marriage.
The question then is, can anyone change their behaviour. The answer is yes although it is very difficult for an adult to change once they have formed a lifestyle. However, if they acknowledge the problem and make it their goal to change, they can change. This is the first step, and the next step is seeking professional help because sometimes people do not know the root cause of their issues until they seek the help of a professional. The job of the professional is to dig deep into the underlining issues and provide intervention.
Reference
Adler, A., & Brett, C. (2012). Understanding life : an introduction to the psychology of Alfred Adler. Oneworld.
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