Using the perspective of Sigmund Freud.

How concerns of childrens

behaviour in school campus be addressed?
(4 paragraphs)
Reference
Sigmund Freuds Theory of Child Development and Mental Disorders
Introduction
Sigmund Freud believed that each stage of a childs development beginning at birth is
directly related to specific needs and demands, each based on a particular body part
and all rooted in a sexual base. Freud offered dynamic and psychosocial explanations
for human behaviour. He conceptualized what we call the psycho-sexual stages of
development. Freud believed that there are specific stages in which an individual has
a specific need, and gratification during each stage is important to prevent an
individual from becoming fixated in any particular level. Fixation, as Freud described
it, is attaching oneself in an unreasonable or exaggerated way to another individual or
one particular stage of development. Freud claimed that such a fixation at one
particular stage can cause bad habits or problems in an individuals adult life. Freuds
explanation of these developmental stages provided early psychosocial explanations
for an individuals deviance or abnormal behaviour. According to this theory, there is a
delicate of balance that must be met at each stage.
In a historical perspective, Freudian psychoanalysis can be seen as one of the first
systematic, psycho-dynamic approaches to show how human psychological processes
can result in mental disorders. He demonstrated that certain abnormal mental
phenomena occur during the attempt to cope with difficult problems. He also
developed techniques such as free association and dream analysis for becoming
acquainted with conscious and unconscious aspects of personality. These techniques
are still widely used in therapy to treat a number of mental disorders.
Freuds psycho-dynamic perspective has come under attack by several critics. An
important criticism to Freuds stages of development is that no scientific data supports
any of the stages. This theory has also been criticized for its overemphasis on sex
drive, and also for failing to consider motives toward personal growth and fulfilment.
Regardless of how correct it is, Freuds theory of development paved the way for other
psychologists to develop theories on how a child develops. It led scientists to take a
further look into the developmental processes of human behaviours. It also led to the
start of theories that describe the abnormal behaviours of individuals. As mentioned
before, Sigmund Freuds developmental stages consists of many stages, and Freud
outlined five stages of development: the oral stage, the anal stage, the phallic stage,
the latency stage, and the genital stage.
In order to understand the basics of his developmental stages, it is important to note
a few things: Freuds age ranges varied a bit over the course of his work, largely
because he acknowledged that development can vary a bit from individual to
individual. Additionally, experience of the stages may overlap at times. Finally, Freud
believed that the way that parents handle their children during each of the stages has
a profound and lasting impact on the overall development of the childs psyche.
The Oral Stage: Birth to 18 Months

The first stage that we encounter is the oral stage. This stage occurs during the first
two years of life. The mouth is the principal erogenous zone. An erogenous zone
according to Freud was a particular part of the body where we seek and gain pleasure
from.
For example, according to Freud an infants greatest source of gratification is sucking.
It is often common to see an infant between the ages of one to two to be constantly
putting objects in his or her mouth. A babys first nourishment is received through
suckling, and the sucking instinct is usually strong, even in new borns. Freud theorized
that an infants oral focus brought not only nourishment, but pleasure. For example if
a person is orally fixated (according to Freud, they are stuck in the oral stage of
development), a person may bite their nails, chew on pens. Freud also blamed
smoking on fixation at the oral stage. On the other hand, if an infant does not receive
adequate oral gratification, the individual may be prone to excessive eating or
drinking in adult life.
The Anal Stage: 18 Months to Three Years
The anal stage occurs from age two to three. The membranes of the anal region
provide the major source of pleasurable stimulation. Freud believed that during this
time period, children derive much pleasure from the process of either retaining or
eliminating faeces, and are quite focused on the process. This is often the time frame
in which many parents choose to potty train their children. If an individual a strict anal
stage and had a tough toilet training, Freud said that individual was more likely to be
obsessively neat in adulthood. This is where the expression anal-retentive comes
from when describing someone that is excessively neat and orderly. On the other hand
if the child had a not so strict toilet training experience, Freud claimed it was more
likely that the individual would grow up to be a creative adult.
The Phallic Stage: 3 Years to 6 Years
The phallic stage occurs from ages three to six. Freud believed that childrens
pleasure centres focused on their genitals. It focuses on self-manipulation of the
genitals as providing the major source of pleasurable stimulation. He further theorized
that young boys develop unconscious sexual feelings for their mothers, complicating
their relationships with both parents. Struggling with a feeling that they are in
competition with their fathers for the attention of their mums, Freud felt that boys
from 3-6 years also fear that their fathers will punish them for these sexual feelings.
In general each stage of development places demands on an individual and arouses
conflicts that must be resolved. One of the most important conflicts occurs during the
phallic stage when the pleasures of self-stimulation pave the way for what is called
the Oedipus complex. Oedipus, according to Greek mythology, unknowingly killed his
father and married his mother.
According to Freud, each young boy symbolically relives the Oedipus drama. He has
incestuous cravings for his mother and views his father as a hated rival. Even though
the father is considered a rival, the boy also fears his father. Freud suggested that the
boy feels castration anxiety and as a result repressed his sexual desire for his mother.
Eventually if all goes well, the boy identifies with the father and comes to have
harmless affection for the mother.
The Electra complex is the female counterpart. It is based on the view that each girl
wants to possess her father and replace her mother. For either sex, resolution of this
conflict is considered essential if a young adult is to develop.

Latency Stage: 6 Years to Onset of Puberty

The latency stage occurs from age six to twelve. In this stage, sexual motivations
recede in importance. At this stage a child is more preoccupied with developing skills
and other activities. Freud seemed to view this time as the least complicated in
childhood, believing that during these years, children focus their energies on their
schooling as well as forming friendship bonds with other children of their own gender.

The Genital Stage: From Puberty On

The genital stage is the final stage of development. It occurs after puberty and
extends into adulthood.
In this final stage of psycho-sexual development, Freud theorized that the onset of
puberty represented the reawakening of sexual urges. At this more mature age,
however, adolescents focus not only on their genitals, but also on developing sexual
relationships with members of the opposite sex and on seeking sexual satisfaction.
Many psychotherapists who are advocates of this theory blame many sexual disorders
such as fetishes and paedophiles on being fixated at the genital stage.
Smooth Transitions
While Freud theorized that children who smoothly transition through the stages grow
to be calm, well centered adults, he felt that an unsuccessful completion meant that a
child would become fixated on that particular phase and either over or under-indulge
throughout adulthood. Believers of Freuds theories on child development, then, must
surely make every effort to help their children through each of the stages, allowing
each child to experience their feelings without guilt or excessive pressure to conform
to preconceived ideas.
Applying Freuds Theories to Childbearing
What does all of this mean to modern parents? For starters, Freud would likely
recommend that parents encourage their childrens natural tendencies to focus on the
above body parts and functions without allowing the children to overindulge.
Obviously, that can be easier said than done. Most parents naturally try to guide their
children toward moderation in all things, but of course, if you believe Freuds theories,
it seems logical that parents will certainly be limited by their own fixations left over
from childhood, making it especially difficult for them to objectively steer their kids.
The bottom line, then, must be that parents should make every effort to educate
themselves about what is considered normal and healthy for their children and then
balance the advice of child development professionals with their own parental
instincts and common sense. For most parents, raising happy, healthy children is a top
priority and by staying actively and directly involved in their childrens lives, parents
will be able to judge the progress that their children are making along the way.