Voices Of Vulnerability: Exploring Mental Health And Behavioral Patterns In Single Parent Children

Abstract

As, in the current scenario victimization of children is found to be prevalent and that too the plight of single parent children is inexplicable. Single parent children are reportedly the one who are most vulnerable and victimized obviously as their single parentwould be the sole bread winner, so that the quality time they spend with their children would be probably less and this might lead to emotional and psychological harms like depression, lonely, neglected, aggressive and deviant behavior. The increased number of single parenthoodoften leads to serious societal problems like Juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancy, beggary, child labor, malnourishment, health issues and welfare dependency.  Sometimes due to financial crisis, there might be poverty where these children are underfed and unhealthy both physically and psychologically.  As they are in their psychosexual stages of development, in one way or the other, it is affecting their physical and mental health, education and their entire behavioral pattern. If these issues which pave the way for mental health issues and deviant behaviors in the future are left unaddressed, then it obviously shows that we are leading the adolescents towards an unhealthy future. This rare study aims at analyzing the emotional and behavioral state of single parent children studying in Government schools in Coimbatore city using the diagnostic research design through ‘Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire’. Strength and Difficulties questionnaire helps to find Emotional symptoms, Conduct problems, Hyperactivity/inattention, Peer relationship related problems and pro-social behavior. This study has a holistic approach where it assesses not only the opinion of children but also their parents' and teachers and to suggest possible solutions to improve the conditions.