Medicating Children - Essay Example

there is a broad spectrum of behavioral problems in children as they are still undergoing psycho-emotional changes and coming to terms with their true identity. Some behavioral problems that are frequently observed in children include aggression towards animals or others, hostile behavior and anger issues for a period of at least six consecutive months (Rubin, 21). Hence; in some cases the use of medication may be completely unnecessary. There is a wide range of therapies that have been found to be effective in addressing behavioral problems and in some situations behavioral therapy has found to be equally effective with fewer side effects than use of medications.

Therefore, parents, students, teachers and medical practitioners should work together towards devising interventions that do not include medication. Since these measures have been found to be equally effective, research should be dedicated towards improving these methods and creating new ones for therapeutic purposes. This paper will discuss the negative attributes of utilizing medications and the benefits that are attained from alternative therapy. The prevalence of behavior problems among children is substantial and under diagnosed as it is often mistaken for normal childhood mischief.

However, the implications on the child’s life can be serious if the appropriate measures are not taken to help the child. Furthermore, these implications would also extend to problems within the community as the levels of crime may increase subsequently (Rubin, 21). Children with behavior problems may also become isolated making them prone suicide and depression. Therefore, intervention for these children is inevitable and this should be accompanied with early diagnosis and the appropriate treatment plans.

The problem however lies in the side effects that have been discovered from using these drugs. The side effects have been found to supersede the benefits that are attained making their use questionable especially