Psychology: Growth and Development - Case Study Example

Psychology: Growth and Development A 14-year-old minority female, facing the very real possibility that she may be pregnant. She has always struggled in school (she has been failed a grade already), and is currently a freshman in high school. The environment of this girl should be designed in a manner which makes it conducive for a healthy development of both the girl and the baby she is expecting. She should receive guidance and counselling because she is at a very delicate age where decision made by an adolescent may be irrational and careless. Being pregnant at 14 years makes her very exceptional among her peers and therefore, they may pay her more attention than she can handle. This is likely to affect her both psychologically and mentally and she may end up failing more classes until she is demoralized. Counselling her ensures that she is able to anticipate what will be coming her way from her peers in the course of her pregnancy and how she should protect herself from such challenges. Major influence in her life in both school and home should provide a very welcoming attitude to her. This prevents stress and depression which is very prevalent among adolescent pregnancies. Stress and depression will lead to unhealthy development of the babe which can have a wide range of negative outcomes ranging from headaches, excessive bleeding to death. The girl should have easy access to basic needs and support which are needed by pregnant women. This involves access to prenatal health care. She should be taken to a doctor who will examine her condition and the nature of her pregnancy. Some pregnancies are high risk while others are normal. Based on the nature of the pregnancy, the doctors will be able to advise her on the right way to take care of herself. The teachers should also play an active role in the support of this girl’s education. Pregnancy is a very hard time for such a young girl. Teachers should support her adequately as she seems to be a weak student who can give up very easily. Some types of environmental factors would hinder healthy development of this girl. The development of a pregnant teenager would be hindered by stress and depression from her external surroundings. With stress there is even possibility that she can have a cramping or excessive bleeding that can lead to miscarriage. The environment with physical stress can lead to many complication and stress need to be eliminated completely from her life. The environment with pollution, chemical, toxin and radiation can cause fetal damage in pregnant women. Her atmosphere should not have any allergy causing substance as pregnant women are delicate to such things. The environment should not have pollen grains, dust and smoke and such environment can cause rasher, shortness in breath, nausea or dizziness. A pregnant would need to have lot of fresh air and lack of it can lead to many problems to both mother and baby. An environment where there is lot of air pollution and bustling noise such as regular smoking zones are as harmful as active smoking and they affect the pregnant girl. In early stage of pregnancy, the mother is sensitive and so is the fetus. Excessive temperatures changes also affect the pregnancy and thus she should remain in an atmosphere where there is no excess warmth or coldness. Noisy environments also affect the girl as noise pollution can cause headache and irritation among expectant females. The environment should also be free from influences of alcohol and other harmful substances. This adolescent’s situation will be affected by three domains; the physical environment, cognitive development and psychosocial factors. The presence or absence of conductive elements will lead to negative impacts while positive elements will enhance healthy development for both the girl and the baby. The physical development of the child will be determined by the external environment as well as the internal such as the things she consumes. A pregnant woman should refrain from those environments which are harmful to the baby. What gets into the mother’s system will definitely get into the baby’ system, which requires the girl to be careful and avoid hazardous environments. If she is exposed to harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and other unhealthy substances, them the development of the bay will be hindered. On the other hand, the baby will develop healthily if the girls observe care, eats healthy and refrains from substances which have the potential of harming the growing baby. The coming of a baby comes with responsibilities. The girl should be more mature and think more for her responsibility towards the baby. Some aspects of her life have to change. Avoiding such activities such as going to parties with friends have to be guided by higher reasoning which comes with cognitive development. The brain of the girl should grow to cater for the added responsibility. If the girl does not develop higher thinking capacities with the coming of the baby, she is likely to suffer a lot of problems associated with balancing between caring for the baby and continuing with her education. Many girls would still go back to school after giving birth but only when they know the value of their education. Considering that this girl has already failed a grade, cognitive development would be of utmost importance if the girl has to continue with her education after birth. Physiological development of the female minor may be negatively impacted by stigmatization by her peer. She has already failed a grade which puts her in a tight position should be she confirmed to be pregnant. Stigmatization may result to her suffering from depression and other mentally –related conditions. On the other hand, if the girl is received with a lot of generosity and a warm atmosphere both at home and in school, she would be able to develop her pregnancy without any psychological problems. 2) A 7-year-old male, who is teased for being small in size and for having "big ears." Lately, he has been quick to cry and has become withdrawn. His parents divorced when he was 4 and he lives with his mother. He has very little contact with his father. This boy should be raised in a loving atmosphere especially for his unique physique. At 7 years, she is very young to deal with issues of not having both of his parents around. This is the age at which most of the cognitive structures of the child become advanced and he notices that he is different form others. At such a critical time, she should have both his parents with him. Even if the parents no longer live together, the father should make a point of establishing firm contacts with the boy and motivate him. This is lead to development of high esteem despite having big ears and a small body. He is away from his Father and keeps less interaction with his mother which shows that he is lacking any support from parents. He should be given an environment where he can get more interactive with his parents as he need ample of care and love. He should also be given attention and an atmosphere where he is surrounded by friends or family who can make him happy and cheerful. The boy needs guidance and counseling which will help him appreciate himself and realize that people are different. The counselor should help him realize that diversity is very constant and that even those with popular height and normal ears have other hidden weaknesses because no one is perfect. He should also be kept away from people who insult or disgrace him. This child is depicting signs of depression as he is withdrawing himself and seems more emotional. Such withdrawal symptoms can alleviate the psychological problem of the child and lead him to chronic depression. The child should be given an atmosphere where he can communicate with his parents and discuss his problems and concerns. He should be encouraged to talk more and be interactive so that it can reduce the stress build up. Some external environments may hinder this child’s development. The absence of his parents may have negative consequences on his development. Since the parents do not live together, there is inadequate of love and are for the child. This is one of the reasons which can trigger depression and low self-esteem. Peers at home and also in school that tease and stigmatize the boy may be contributing to his detrimental development. He should not be allowed to play in neighborhood where he will be prone to bullying or insult. The child should be monitored and such children can develop frustration and develop destructive behavior. His environment should be filled with positive energy and any movies, or programs related to bully or insult need to be avoided at any condition. The child should be given enough rest and any disturbance in physical or emotional level need to be addressed with medical attention. A violent environment is also not recommended for this child. An environment where there are children fighting or arguing with each other impacts negatively on this child. Isolation at home or in school may affect his studies and damage his self-confidence. His parents separation will inevitably lead to his isolation if they do not take turns to spend time with him. The development of this boy will be affected by three domains of development which are physical environment, cognitive development and psychosocial factors. Adequate and positive elements in the environment will results to healthy development of the child while lack of essential factors will lead to negative development. If the child is provided enough care and support, he will grow up healthy and with a high self-esteem. On the other hand, if he continues to be isolated and with no care, he will grow up with insufficient mental and cognitive capacities. Engagement of the child in different mental games such as sport will influence his psychological development as it will depart him from the stresses he has. If the child is given all assistance with study and the mother is around him more time, he will feel warmth and affection. Being supported with daily chores enables him to feel appreciated and involved. A person under bully needs lot of care as they will often encounter lack of self – confidence and determination. Hence he is of small stature he need confidence and assurance from the people around him that he is healthy and perfect. The child is in a growing stage and bullying can have lot of impact on his cognitive development. The continued separation of his parents will aggravate his depression and isolation; he would feel alienated from his parents who could even have attention deficit disorder or disruptive disorder. Care and support for the child will allow him to engage in some kind of pleasurable activity so that he cannot feel emptiness. His environment should be lively and he should be surrounded by people all time. The brain development of a child under stress and depression will be poor so he needs to be given an environment where he can work his brain well. The child can be given quizzes and problems to solve or he can engage in video games or other online games to keep him intelligently active. This will make him happy and lively. Work cited Chris Beckett and Hilary Taylor, Human Growth and Development, Second Edition, SAGE Publications Ltd; Chennai, India, 2010 Read More