International Journal of Research in Social Sciences

Vol. 6 Issue 9, September 2016,

ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 6.278
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A SEARCH OF DIFFERENT MALADJUSTED

BEHAVIOURS OF ADOLESCENTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
OF CLASSROOM AND THE CAUSAL FACTORS THAT
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOURS

Raju Singha*

Arindam Bhattacharjee**
ABSTRACT
Education plays very important role in making the man well adjusted in the society . Education
in real sense , is to humanize humanity and to make life progressive , cultured and civilized .
Everyone want to adjust himself with his environment . The modern education has these
objectives . But it is also true that every individual do not have the same potentialities to adjust
himself and now a days it is a major problem in our educational institution as well as in our
society . The study was conducted with 50 male and female students among the secondary level .
For this study a general information schedule , questionnaire and a checklist was formed . The
study highlighted the common behavioural problems among the students . It has been found from
the study that female students and male students have the different maladjustment problems .
The study will provide the knowledge about the different types of maladjustment and their
relative causes among secondary level students . It will be helpful for the teacher to understand
and overcome different related problems .

Keywords : adjustment , secondary level , maladjustment .

*
Assistant Teacher , Khutadaha R.C high school (H.S)
**
Assistant Professor , malda Govt. Teachers’ Training college

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1. INTRODUCTION
Adjustment is the process by which a living organism maintains a balance between its needs and
the circumstances that influence the satisfaction of these needs . Individuals adjustment is
adequate . wholesome or healthy to the extent that he has established harmonious relationship
between the person and his environment . Contrary to adjustment , maladjustment represents a
condition or a state in which one feels that one‟s need are not fulfilled and he has been a failure
in establishing harmony with his self and the environment.

„maladjustment‟ is defined as the inability to react Successfully and satisfactorily to the

demands of one‟s environment . According to the American Heritage Stedman‟s Medical
Dictionary , (2002) , Though the term applied a wide range of biological , social and
psychological conditions , it often implies an individuals‟ failure to meet social or cultural
expectations.

Collins‟ English Dictionary define maladjustment as a failure to meet the demands of the society
, coping with problems and social relationships ; usually reflected in emotional instability .
According to Cambridge Dictionary “ A maladjusted person , usually a child has been raised in a
way that does not prepare them well for the demands of life , which often leads to problems
behaviours in future.‟‟ This maladjustment is a condition related to social and personal
difficulties in various areas like personal relationships , problem solving , emotional stability ,
need fulfilment etc.

In psychology , the term refers to unsatisfactory behaviour patterns that cause anxiety and
require psychotherapy . This maladjustment is a process whereby an individual is unable to
satisfy his biological , psychological or social needs successfully and establishes an imbalance
between his personal needs and expectations of the society resulting inb the disturbance of
psycho equilibrium . (Mangal , 1995)

In the words of Herbart Sorenson “ A person is not in harmony with his work if it is too hard or
if the student has too hard or if the student has too little capacity excessive failure is experienced
if it is too easy or if the student has too high ability for his work , the work is dull and dreaming.”

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SYMPTOMS OF MALADJUSTMENT
The committee on maladjusted children (UK) headed by J. E. A. Underwood , in its report in
1955 listed the following problems ;

Nervous disorders :
Fears – anxiety , Phobia , timidity , oversensitivity. With drawl – unsociability , solitariness .
Depression – brooding , melancholy periods . Apathy – leathargy , unresponsiveness , no
interests . Obsessions – rituals and compulsions .

Habit Disorders :
Speech – stammering, speech defects . Movements – twitching, rocking, head banging , nail
biting . Excretion – it continuance of urine and faces. Nervous pain and paralysis – headache.
physical symptoms – asthma and other allergic conditions .

Behaviour Disorders :
Unmanageable – defiance , disobedience , refusal to go to school or work . Aggressiveness –
bulling , destructiveness , cruelty . Behaviour – jealous , demands for attention , begging and
stealing , lying and romancing . Truancy – wondering , staying out late . Sex difficulties –
masturbation , sex play , homosexuality .

Organic Disorders :
Conditions following head injuries , encephalitis or central tumors , epilepsy .

Psychotic Behaviours :
Hallucinations , delusions , extreme with drawl , violence .

Educational and Vocational difficulties :

Backwardness not accounted for by dullness , unusual response to school discipline , inability to
concentrate .

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CAUSES OF MALADJUSTMENT :
The main causes of maladjustment behaviour of adolescence are as follows :

Family :
According to David Magnusson (1983) , The family is an institution has various functions to
perform various causes e.g. social , economic and psychological contribute immensely to
maladjustment or maladjusted behaviour . In multiple studies , it has been found that support
from parents bonds the adolescent to institutions and builds their self control (Barnes et al.,
2006) Many studies have demonstrated that lack of parental monitoring and non – involvement
serves as one of the most robust predictors in youth‟s delinquent behaviour (Barnes et al., 2006)

Holden‟s (2006) findings that parental inadequacy , absence or destructiveness interrupt and
damage a child‟s normal maturation process . This illustrates how important parents are in a
child‟s life and how their involvement can make a difference in shaping the behaviour of their
childrens .

Social causes :
Gibson (1953) , has found in his study that the social problems of one generations is the
psychological problems of the next generation . Children coming from homes that have been
broken due to death , divorce , separation etc . one often causes maladjustment in student
behaviour . According to Maseko (2009) , children who are born and grow up in a good social
environment will have conditions to improve qualities and personalities . On the contrary , if
they live in a complex social environment , abounded with social evils , they will certainly be
affected in their personality development .

Psychological Causes :
If parents are over possessive , highly authoritative , unrealistic in their expectations ,
incompatible and abusive , this will have been in adverse effect upon their children . When the
psychological needs are not met , students get frustrated and develop problems like nail biting ,
fear of darkness , lack of self-confidence . Individuals who display large emotional variability
over time are characterized by higher levels of depression , nuroticism and low self-esteem (Eid

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& Diener , 1999). Research has shown that indicators of low psychological well-being , such as
nuroticism and low self-esteem are related to impairments in affect repair (Wood , Marshal &
Brown , 2003) and evidence suggest that depression , for inctance , is characterized by longer
duration of negative moods and emotional states once initiated (Allen , Davis & Sorenson ,
2000).

Personal Causes :
The individual who are physically , mentally , visually handicapped react in their own way .
Sometime they become maladjusted due to situation which is not easy to them . The student who
are not able to score well academically compares to their peers , they develop an inferiority
complex and finally they isolate themselves from others and indulge in day dreaming . A child
exhibiting mal adaptive behaviours may have health problem which interfere with his proper
adjustment to classroom situation . As example ; a child who is inattentive in class may be
struggling with a perceived attack of asthma or epilepsy (Ogbue , Obani & Abori , 1987).

Peer pressure :
Another important factor is that disturbs the psy equilibrium of students in the unhealthy
relationship with peer and their influences on different unsocial activities . Sanders , (2005) &
Sulivan , (2006) who has found peer-pressure to be the strongest predictor of delinquency
compared to family factors and childhood emotional and behavioural problems

School related causes :

When growing children do not find ways and means to channelize their energy in a purposeful
manner in the school , they easily exist in maladjusted behaviour . The main school related
causes behind maladjustment behaviour among students are excessive and hard disciplines ,
defective curriculum , faulty teaching method , lack of recreational time , the authoritarian role of
teachers etc.

2.REVIEW OF LITERATURE :
Kocher derfer , B . J . , & Ladd , G . W . (1996) . peer victimization : cause or consequence of
school maladjustment ? child development.

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Tyagi , (1985) , pointed out that emotional maturity was positively correlated to personal , social
and overall adjustment and female subjects scored higher on emotional maturity .

Mutekwe , E . , & Mutekwe , C . (2013) . Teachers‟ perceptions of pupil maladjustment

problems : A psychosocial perspective .

Angeline , Dollias & Mech , (1956) , noted a constant increase in fears and worries by girls in
activities involving social relations . This fear was less pronounced in boys . In both adolescents
(boys & girls) there are increases in fear after age fifteen especially in the economic and political
areas .

Miranda , M . C . , Affuso , G . , Esposito , C . , & Bachhini , D . (2016) . Parental acceptance –

Rejection and adolescent maladjustment : Mother‟s and father‟s combind roles . Journal of child
and family studies .

Bhagia , (1966) , in his study found that girls exceed boys significantly in their adjustment to
general environment and organizational aspect of the school .

Dutta , (1979) , investigated the effects of malnourishment on self concept , personal , social
adjustment and cognitive competence of boys coming from low income families .

Weymouth , B .B . , Buechler , C . , Zhou , N . , & Henson , R . A . (2016) . A meta analysis of

parent-adolescent conflict . Disagreement , Hostility and youth maladjustment . Journal of family
theory & review.

Sunita , (1986) , found that girl‟s were better adjusted at home than boys . Boys were more
socially adjusted than girls . Boys were more emotionally adjusted than girls .

Chopra . R & Kalita . R , (2006) , found that the emotional , social and educational adjustments
of elementary school children of single parents have several problems rather than intact families
and affect their development .

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3. OBJECTIVES :
The general objectives of the study was to establish the factors that contribute maladjusted
behaviour among the adolescent students of higher secondary level .

The aims of the study was to identify the pattern of maladjustment among the students of middle
childhood to adolescence . This study also emphasized of the causal description of pattern of
maladjustment and how these evolve maladjustment .

The study highlighted about the causal relationship between various forms of maladjustment and
its causal factor among the adolescence students .

4. TARGET AREA :
To achieve the objective a number of 50 students (N=50) (Male : 25 , Female : 25) were selected
from bamongola block of Malda district , W.B through random sampling method . 50 students
bond suitable for the purpose . The student participated in this study were teenager and their
average age was 13-15 years . The distribution of the sex ratio on the study Male : Female were 1
: 1 . Students were cooperative and able to understand the questions which were asked to them.

5. METHODOLOGY :
To achieve the above mentioned objectives , the investigator address it in two fold steps :
A. Identification of the maladjusted students through behavioural checklist.
B. Identification of the causes of maladjusted behaviour through questionnaire.

To identified maladjusted behaviour , a list of maladjusted behaviours were prepared which was
collected from different review based articles , and through interview with student , parents and
teachers . The listed behaviours were simplified into statement form and it was framed in two
point dichotomous scale („YES‟ OR „NO‟). Judgements about the students made by teacher‟s or
parents . The behaviour checklist was further utilized to understand the nature of problem
associated with the causes of maladjustment traits , social , emotional and academic .
After identification of the problem , the second objectives of the study was in consideration .
After classification of the broad dimensions related with causal factors of maladjustment 45

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statements were prepared as questionnaire for final data collection . The social , emotional and
academic causes were frame on questionnaire structure . Then it has produced to 50 selected
students for data collection . The students were further interviewed through the questionnaire and
data were collected accordingly.

6. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Table 1 : Major causes of maladjustment (Female)
Total no. Of students Related causes No. Of percentage
12 Shyness (Emotional) 48%

3 Parental rejection (Social) 12%

4 Low family income (social) 16%

2 Peer pressure (Social ) 8%

4 Fear (Emotional) 16%

25 100%

Table 2 : Major causes of maladjustment (Male)

Total no. Of students Related causes No. Of percentage

11 Peer pressure (Social) 44%

5 Broken home (Social ) 20%

4 16%
Low family income (Social)
2 8%

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Fear (Emotional )
3 6%
Shyness (Emotional)
25 100%

The study was conducted to find out nature of maladjustment and the causes of maladjustment
among the students in secondary level . To achieve the purpose , a general information schedule ,
a behavioural checklist and a questionnaire was prepared to find out the causes of maladjustment
. 50 students with average age 13-15 in class x-xii from different socio-economic group was
selected through the screening by behaviour checklist . The study highlighted the common
behavioural problems among the students including aggression , lack of confidence , nervousness
, lying , truancy , disobedience etc. The study followed that shyness , fearfulness , peer pressure
are the maximum rated behavioural problems . Apart from that stealing , inferiority , easily
discouraged , delinquent tendencies etc. Also rated as maladjusted problems . It has been found
from the study that maximum number of female students rated for shyness (48%) , emotional
cause of maladjustment behaviour and for male students the maximum rated cause is peer
pressure (44%) , social cause . It is enough to conclude that female student has less control on
their emotion than male students and male students have more effect of social cause rather than
female students for their maladjusted behaviours .

The overall score from the questionnaire exhibited intermediate nature of causes for problems
related with maladjustment behaviour . But dimension wise the study revealed various kind of
causes included .

REFFERENCE :
1. Allen & Collins , W . A . (1990) . Parent-child relationships in the transition to adolescence :
continuity and change in interaction , affect and cognition . In Raymond Montemayor , Gerald
Adams and Thomas Gullotta eds . , From childhood to adolescence : A transitional period ?
Beverly Hills , CA : Sage , 1990.
2. Kaul , Lokesh (2005) . Methodology of educational research . Vikash Publishing House , New
Delhi.

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3. Pandey , J . (1968) . Adjustment problems of Adolescents in relation to their personality

variables. Ph.D Thesis , Varanasi , B.H.U.
4. Sharma , H. L. (2005) . Study of adjustment among institutionalized delinquents in relation to
their types disabilities and impairements . Indian Educational Abstracts Vol . 19 (1) pp. 23-29.
5. Beal , Sarah . J . & Crocket , Lisa J. , “ Adolescents‟ occupational and educational aspirations
and expectations : Links to high school activities (2010) . Faculty Publications . Department of
Psychology.
6. Goswami , N . (1980) . Adjustment problems of school going adolescents girls. New Delhi :
NCERT.
7. Crow , L . D . and Crow , A . C . (1956) . Adolescence development and adjustment . New
York : Mc Graw Hill Book co.
8. Bhatt , K . K . (1971) . Adjustment problems of the under achievers , university school of
psychology , Gujarat university .
9. Sujatha , S . , Gaonkar , V . , Khadi , P. & Katarki , P . A . (1993) . Factors influencing
adjustment among adolescents . Indian psychological review .
10. Bhatt , L . J . , Patel , P . M . Patel , M . M . and Parikh , D . S . (1961) . Inquiry into
psychological factors related to adolescent adjustment . ICMR project , Faculty of education
psychology , M . S . U . (ICMR-Finance).

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