Maladjustment

 

Maladjustment

Content

Meaning of maladjustment
Causes of Maladjustment
Remedial Measures of Maladjustment

Meaning of Maladjustment

• The term ‘Maladjustment’ has been made from two words ‘Mal’ and ‘Adjustment’.

         Thus, maladjustment means bad harmony or bad adjustment.

• Maladjustment can be referred to as the inability to maintain a stable relationship with environment or adjust to changing environment.
• Maladjustment is the process in which a person is unable to satisfy his/her personal, social, psychological or biological needs and thus establishes an unbalance between him/her-self and the environment.

Causes of Maladjustment

Causes of maladjustment are studied under two factors:

Personal Factors and Environmental factors 

                    

Personal Factors

1. Physical causes –

Children having hearing impairment, blindness, or other physical challenges are unable to perform their tasks effectively at home, school or society. As a result they suffer from fear, anxiety, inferiority complex etc, which further leads to maladjustment.

2. Long sickness –

Children who suffer from sickness or illness for a long time get socially underdeveloped and academically underachieved; which also leads to maladjustment socially and academically.  

3. Mental Causes –

Children facing mental problems like stress, anxiety, tension or depression, find it extremely difficult to adjust to changing social scenarios and environment.

4. Emotional Causes –

Children who are emotionally unstable i.e., ones who cannot manage or express their emotions well also face difficult in adjustment which leads to maladjustment.

Environment Factors

1. Home –

Home plays a crucial role in the adjustment of a child. 

Following are the home conditions and environment which leads to maladjustment of Children:

• Needs of a child in low financial income home remains unsatisfied and the child becomes maladjusted.
• A home where the child does not get proper love, care, attention and security from family, leads to maladjustment in the child.
• Harsh discipline or no discipline at all at homes also leads to maladjustment.

2. Schools

• Qualities and behavior of teachers is greatly responsible for the adjustment of children. Teachers who are frustrated, over-strict, not empathetic, indifferent, unfair and maladjusted themselves, lead to maladjustment of students.
• Unstable curriculum and methods of teaching which includes:
•  Curriculum not serving the needs of students,
• Irrelevant and extremely difficult study matter and activities,
• Curriculum not based on child psychology,
• Use of inappropriate teaching methods etc; leads to maladjustment of students by infusing in them fear, anxiety, low self confidence etc.
• Undue emphasis on examinations which are entirely based on student’s ability to memorise and recall studied topics, also leads to maladjustment.
• Favoritism and partial treatment on the basis of student’s I.Q., caste, race, color etc in the classroom, affects mental health of the students and leads to maladjustment.

3. Social Causes –

Following are the cases when a child becomes socially maladjusted.

•  When activities like stealing, lying, gambling etc happens in a child’s neighborhood; it makes child delinquent and causes maladjustment.
• Children belonging to families that frequently migrate or move from one place to another, face problems while adjusting to new places which also affects their mental health and leads to their maladjustment.
• Racial and linguistic differences: children belonging to privileged families are given more priority and privileges than those belonging to underprivileged ones, it leads to frustration and stress in underprivileged children and causes maladjustment.

 

Remedial Measures of Maladjustment

1. Positive and fair school environment
2. Recognition of special needs of children
3. Individual attention
4. Healthy competitions
5. Contacting specialist
6. Guidance and counseling
7. Democratic administration
8. Contacting parents and seeking their coordination
9. Special and remedial classes.