Repercussions of parental pressure can be serious
On October 12, T Samyukha, a student of class 12, hanged herself in her hostel room, at her college in Madhapur. She had left behind a suicide note in which she mentioned the crippling pressure she was under.
On October 13, Almati Bhargava Reddy, a 16-yearold killed himself, as he had performed poorly in his coaching institution in Nidamanuru.
The common factor in both cases was parental pressure on children to perform well in academics.
Author Alexandra Robbins, in her book, ‘The Overachiever: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids’, wrote about exam fever in Asian countries. “In Asia, unlike the US, the college you attend can mean the difference between a distinguished professional career or a life of menial labour,” she wrote.
The International Journal of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences reported findings of a study in which among the 190 students surveyed, twothirds felt pressure from parents for performing better in academics.
The mental health of children, especially with regards to pressure from parents for doing well academically, is becoming a cause of concern due to the increasing incidents of suicides, say researchers. Constantly pushed to perform better, some children develop deep-rooted psychological disorders during early childhood, they say.
IT COULD ALSO BE DUE TO A FEAR OF SEEING THEIR CHILDREN FAIL, AS PARENTS ARE AWARE OF THE INTENSE COMPETITION THAT EXISTS, ESPECIALLY IN A COUNTRY LIKE INDIA.
For most of us, parental pressure is a part and parcel of life. However, the repercussions can be serious in many cases.
Experts say parental pressure is also related to the education level and occupation of parents themselves.
Adults who wish to employ their children as a means to escape poverty / make ends meet are known to put greater burden on the youngsters.
Oftentimes, it is rooted in the personal ineptitude of parents, which motivates them to pressurise the children to exert themselves more.
It could also be due to a fear of seeing their children fail, as parents are aware of the intense competition that exists for getting admission in good colleges, especially in a country like India.