Drugs, violence… hostel life is not easy
Academicians interacting closely with students in higher education institutes (HEIs) say that the biggest challenge young people, both men and women, face today is drug abuse. Violence, sexual experimentation, bullying… the list is endless.
Speaking at a gathering of psychiatrists, counsellors and academicians and college students at the India International Centre recently, Dr Kavita Sharma, now president, South Asian University, New Delhi, said alcoholism, sex experiments and bullying were rampant in many campus hostels.
Recalling her tenure as principal of one of Capital Delhi’s prominent colleges, she said it was horrifying to discover that “Our hostels are a hotbed of violence. What seniors do to juniors can be described as the worst kind of bullying.” People come from small cities are made fun of because of their accent or their inability to speak English.
There is huge peer pressure they have to comply with. Many students used to the strict, conservative ways of schools or families felt unfettered and “free to experiment with all sorts of things” once they were in college.
Getting parents to resolve issues did not often work as “no matter how many threats you issue, sometimes parents just refuse to get involved.”
Sharma’s opening remarks were made at the National Consultations on University and College Counselling Services in India. It was organised to recommend a way forward to the HRD ministry following the University Grants Commission directive to all HEIs to put in place a Student’s Counselling System “for the effective management of problems and challenges faced by students.”
Sharma also suggested that parents be involved in counselling sessions too as “at times more than the students, the parents are the ones who need counselling.”
Often, they wanted their children to live the life they wanted to and forced their kids to be ‘model’ children, which puts an unbearable burden on young people. The stigma attached to the word counselling also had to be removed as people objected to being “labelled,” she said.
For the all-round development of students, a complete programme had to be chalked out , through exercise, yoga and counselling, which focussed not just on physical development, but also of the mind and ‘self ’, Sharma advised.
Dr Jitendra Nagpal, consultant psychiatrist with a special interest in adolescence and early childhood disorders, who coordinated the event on behalf of Expressions India, the National Life Skills, Values, Community and School Wellness Programme, urged HEIs to come forward to “urgently” provide counselling services to their students and for the HRD ministry to seriously consider suggestions by HEIs, academicians and counsellors.It was crucial for counsellors to identify cases of depression. Referring to reports of increased cases of depression in the age group of 10 to 24, Dr Saroj Yadav, dean, academic, NIE, NCERT, New Delhi, stressed on the need for advocacy “with people who matter”.
Teachers and parents needed to be sensitised to student problems. Opening channels of communication with students was important too, she said.
The age of eighteen was crucial in the life of a student. Unfortunately, unlike in the West in India eighteen was not a magical age and was seen to be in continuity to childhood.
The society we lived in was “collectivist,” where the “I” had to always be in relation to others. Students in HEIs are of an age when they are discovering themselves, their identities. They have to be supported in this search, said Namita Ranganathan, professor, department of education, Delhi University.