THE IMPORTANCE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN ADOLESCENTS’ LIFE

•  (Relevant for Sociology Syllabus: Paper 1- Systems of Kinship & Paper 2- Challenges of Social Transformation)
   (Relevant for GS Syllabus: Paper1- Effects of globalization on Indian society.)

• Guidance and counselling in the modern age have become escalated needs because of a multiplicity of problems that the individual faces in important domains of life. The terms guidance and counselling are used interchangeably.
• Guidance is a broader term which includes counselling as one of its services. It means help or advice to deal with the complex problems linked with your work, education, personal relationship and making into easier ones.
• Guidance is regarded as a conceptualized programme of activities that offers a gateway out to the existing problems in the present era of complex scientific and technological developments.
• The aim of guidance and counselling is to assist behaviour change, enhance coping skills, promote decision making, improve the relationship and to facilitate users’ potential.
• Guidance and counselling help to recognize and understand about one’s talents and abilities, help to develop an optimistic outlook for removal of undesirable traits, it aids to develop resourcefulness and self-direction in adapting to changes in society.
• Guidance and counselling earn recognition through their services rendered in enhancing human happiness by being healthier, more productive, attain valuable lesson and also eliminate later stage problems. The major aim of guidance and counselling services is to encourage students’ academic, social, emotional and personal development.
• These are thus, an integral component of education as well. Guidance and counselling have become very imperative for young children and schools have a massive role in fetching out the best in children, as at today’s time young minds need guidance to polish their personality and also help to attend to the physical, social, psychological, educational and vocational needs of the school students who go a long way to remove impediments of learning.
• Adolescence is generally considered as a turbulent period and is often portrayed as a negative phase of life-a phase of storm and stress to be survived or endured. This stage is best defined as a critical period in relation to puberty and also considered as a revolution of a person’s life which starts with biological transformation and finished in adjusting with those challenges in the society. Adolescence means ‘to emerge’ to attain ‘identity’ and this way of attaining identity has to go long facing up with challenges as well as changes.
• During this period a variety of physiological, cognitive, emotional and social changes take place. Adolescence emerges from later childhood and merges into adulthood with sexual maturity, increased hormone levels, desire for more independence, the capacity to think abstractly, escalating interest in peers, distancing from parents due to relationship with peers or outside and the inauguration of a romantic relationship are characteristics of adolescence. These characteristics are like shifting from a child like to be adult-like.
• The tendency to make innovative discoveries is more frequent in adolescence as compare to childhood because in childhood scope of activity is restricted as a child has fear of guardians or afraid of going far whereas in adolescence they discover superior freedom. Additionally, there is a diverse number of conflicts that adolescents are faced with, such as making decisions about future adult role, identity formation and separating themselves from caregivers.
• Adolescents require explicit attention. Today, millions of children are addicted to drugs, engaged in various crimes, school dropout, delinquency, attempt suicide, suffer from anxieties and depressions. In spite of rising in literacy rates, the trend of opting the wrong decision or confusing is continuously increasing in children because of the lack of guidance services.
• At this stage of life, adolescents are packed with multifarious challenges and if these challenges are not resolved, they may go on to become a social misfit in later life. An adolescent on his own may also make use of trial-and-error approach and master the developmental tasks vital for the switch to ideal adulthood but in the practice, they used to waste their precious time that they might spend in learning and knowing further constructive activities and also it would deteriorate their self-confidence and motivation to acquire up tasks that have proved to be hard in doing it. They are not mature enough to critically evaluate baffling situation arising due to these changes around them.
• Many of these problems not only require remedial treatment but also prominently help from guidance and counselling profession to take preventive efforts. Thus, adolescence becomes challenging as well as a puzzling chapter of lifespan development for those who are facing and also for the parents and adults who are raising and nurturing their children. So to survive this period and get the direction of fulfilling their potential, adolescents require guidance and honest support.
• Adolescents confront problems which they cannot readily cope with the absence of assistance from their parents, teachers or professionals such as school counsellors. The academic achievement may be one of the determinants of adolescent mental health and as a result, can be associated with the adolescents’ need for guidance and counselling. A school counsellor’s role also becomes sensitive when the ultimate aim is students academic achievement.
• Teenagers have an important role in society. Today’s young people are the hope, future citizens and leaders of tomorrow; therefore it is necessary to develop aptitude, behaviour and action according to democratic ideals. In India adolescence has a good hold on the population. They will be controlling and running the world someday.
• Clearly, we need to better understand these challenges and find appropriate solutions. The principle of guidance and counselling in schools is to make progress in academic achievement, increase acquisitions and application of conflict resolution, promote affirmative study attitudes and behaviour and reduce school dropouts of the children. Even at institutions, adolescents have the stress of academic performance, selecting fields of specialization and career as well.
• Teachers as well as parents choose academic achievement as sole criteria to judge students’ performance. However, it can be a very hard period during which a great deal of understanding, patience and support is required. Modernization has given many positive effects as it is providing so many opportunities, but at the same time, it has remitted into multiple stressors in adolescents’ life. This stress leads to massive mental health problems. It is, therefore, very pertinent that students’ guidance and counselling needs must be known, so that, steps can be taken to make available required support services in this regard to them at an adequate level.