Mental Health in Schools

Mental Health in Schools from Alexandra Rupp

Collaborate Discussion: Development of Values in School aged Children

This week’s collaborate session covered school aged children ranging from 6- 12 years of age. During the discussion, we weighed the benefits and disadvantages of homeschooling a child. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that a homeschool setting doesn’t provide the social environment that children need to socially develop and build relationships. One of my peers made a comment of how a child may not learn how to interact with peers of the same age range and have the tendency to be antisocial. In my opinion, a child that is homeschooled may have issues collaborating in groups or working with a team later in life. Homeschooled children do not have the opportunity to work with other kids their age and will likely show difficulty in accepting and utilizing information that others have to offer. They may depend more on independent thinking and lack the insight offered by others. Another classmate mentioned that the benefits of homeschooling could depend on the urban or suburban area of the school. A co-worker of mine has decided to homeschool her school aged daughter because the school system in her area is not academically successful and does not foster further education.

Ugly Ted

Another part of the discussion was on the three common values among children (ages 6-11). I think that these values encourage children to bully others or accept bullying behaviors from others. Its interesting to think how a child won’t express to an adult figure that they are being bullied to avoid being called a tattletale. In some cases, children who speak up about their mistreatment from a peer or peers face harsher bullying than before they told an adult. I like the idea of using an “Ugly Ted”  teddy bear to teach children about tolerance, acceptance, and the differences among them. I think a child becomes more aware of how their behavior affects others when they are asked to put themselves in another’s shoes. I think this is a useful technique when working with adults as well.

Children aim to be similar to their peers but it is obvious that there are some apparent differences that might separate a child from their peers. This made me reflect on my adolescents and the friends I made at school. It is true that children, at such a young age, begin to identify themselves with peers of similar backgrounds. They also begin to call the friends that they share the most interests with as their best friend. I remember making clubs with girls in my class where we shared a common in boys, the Spice Girls, and glittery pens.  

Kid's Reaction to the Idea of Same-Sex Marriage

This video stirred contrasting emotions for me. First, I was happy, or more relieved I should say, to see the young generation of our society being raised and their ability to express their bright opinions so effectively. On the other hand, it made me think of all the men and women who raise their kids to be ignorant and shy from those who do not meet their religious doctrine. Finally, my final thoughts after this video are as follows:

If  the privilege to marry a loved one continues to be secluded from same-sex couples , then the ability to divorce should be deemed non-existent. That way, those who received state acknowledgement of their "legitimate relationship" and then wish to dissolve their commitment, will be forced to suck it up and abide by their promise to live their lives legally bonded forever! I think LGBTs should focus on deriving their own terms of a social institution to represent the union of two loving individuals because, in my opinion, society has turned "marriage" into a mockery of what it truly means to love someone, until death do them part!

Kids react to bi-racial cheerios Commercial

Functional Connections: 15 Characteristics of a Healthy, Intimate Relationship

Humans are motivated to satisfy a hierarchy of functional needs, ultimately achieving a level self-actualization. According to Abraham Maslow, the five levels of  needs play a focal role in motivating behavior and are similar to human instincts. The third level of needs is interpersonal and involve an individual's sense of belonging. Aside from platonic and family relationships , humans strive to form and maintain intimate connections as well. Provided here are essential elements for an optimal, sexual companionship: 

The Crowding Phenomenon and Bystander Effect

"Crowding" is a significant social phenomena affecting human behavior. The following content combines a theoretical observation of the "Bystander Effect" and summary of an acclaimed psychological investigation.

Disney Movies: Positive or Negative Influence on Children?

A discussion on the Psychological Affects of Disney movies and the subliminal messages included.

Disney- This single expression, whether used in reference to a brilliant animator or an extravagant theme park, produces overwhelming feelings of excitement and bliss across the young children of Western culture. Since 1934, the term has been synonymous with the phrase “the happiest place on Earth”. The Disney films are considered to have considerable influence on the social, emotional, and cognitive development of the adolescent viewers. Considerable research focusing on the inappropriate messages embedded in these films has proposed a conflicting question: Are Disney Movies suitable for children to be watching?