Category: Human behavior

A Life Wasted from Revenge

“My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.” Everyone knows this line from the movie “Princess Bride.” People hear it, and they laugh. Does anyone ever think of revenge implied in this line though? This character has been wanting to seek revenge ever since his father was killed by the six-fingered man. He has been plotting his revenge, not just in the weeks and months but during the years that have passed since his father’s death. Through the action and dialogue in this film, the audience can infer that the process of seeking revenge, has caused Inigo to miss out on life; that life has passed him by. He shows that he is an excellent sword fighter, which would have taken years of practice and he explains that he has been on a quest to find his father’s killer since he was 12 years old. That is a lot of life not lived. Besides, is he satisfied when he kills the six-fingered man? Does he seem better? Happier? Overall, Inigo Montoya’s actions show that seeking revenge is unnecessary because it wastes one’s life. As revenge also leads to feelings of self-loathing and a never-ending cycle of not being satisfied.

One reason why seeking revenge unnecessary is that it is a waste of one’s life. As a result of someone’s instinct to seek revenge, special moments in life are missed out on. Inigo Montoya didn’t seem to have a wife or family. He had no close friends and he had no job. He’d devoted his life to revenge and once the six-fingered man was dead, what was he going to do? Some people seek revenge, give up close relationships, create a family, and just live life. The

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worst part is, that even if all this time has been spent on a plan of revenge it might not end the way it was meant to be. Did it feel fair after the fact? Did the person feel fully satisfied after they had gotten full revenge? Did the person suffer and feel the pain that was done to the victim in the first place? Of course not! “Seeking revenge doesn’t cancel out the behaviors that hurt you. It just perpetuates the cycle of pain.” After seeking revenge, it is really hard to get out of the loop and that is just more of a wasted life. They overwhelm themselves with planning. It is an ongoing loop that will never end. The wheel just keeps on turning.

Another reason why seeking revenge unnecessary is that it can result in feelings of self-loathing. In the article titled “Revenge: Will you feel better,” a study was conducted that looked at where people who took revenge, felt better afterward, and not to a surprise the results were: No! They did not. To quote, “Everyone who was given the chance for revenge, took it. And they predicted that they would feel much better after they got their revenge. The results showed that the students who got revenge reported feeling worse than those who didn’t …” In the process of getting their revenge, the feeling of doing something worse in return is very common. You are now just as bad as the person that hurt you. In this study, taking revenge did not result in satisfaction. The revenge seeker compared their revenge with the original actions done to them and they felt that their revenge was just not enough. A 2012 study in the journal [Biology Letters] found that “people tend to punish others not because of a desire for revenge but because of a sense of fairness.” And a 2014 study found that after committing an act of revenge, people feel worse.” After planning and plotting vengeance there should be satisfaction. The satisfaction of having taken an ‘eye for an eye’. The reality is that people feel worse after the fact; that taking revenge makes the situation ten times more frustrating, annoying, and even better disappointing. All that revenge led to was more toxic emotions. After all the hard work that was put into seeking revenge, the satisfaction gained did not equal the emotional frustration spent on the plan.

The last reason why revenge is bad is that it leads the vindictive to become unsatisfied. False satisfaction comes without forgiving the person who attacked in the first place. As forgiveness is important to reduce the path of revenge, the article, “The Grace of Forgiveness,” “Forgiveness is the act of compassionately releasing the desire to punish someone or yourself for an offense. It’s a state of grace, nothing you can force or pretend. There are no shortcuts.” Revenge doesn’t come with forgiveness and if someone can’t forgive, the dissatisfaction grows. Did the person feel as much pain and suffering as I did? If revenge wasn’t taken in the first place then forgiveness could have been part of the picture. As “…seeing an offender suffer was important. His research results showed that the only situation when acting on revenge was more satisfying than not acting on revenge was when the offender understood and acknowledged why the act of revenge had occurred.” Some people may argue that if revenge wasn’t taken in the first place how would one know if they were or were not going to be satisfied? Why take the chance of losing the opportunity to forgive and forget? Forgive the person rather than waste a lifetime on revenge.

To conclude, seeking revenge wastes one’s life, it leads to feelings of self-loathing as you lower yourself to another’s level, and it can set off a never-ending cycle of not being satisfied. In the end, Inigo Montoya doesn’t get the satisfaction that he wanted. Even after killing the six-fingered man, he was not happy and his father was still dead. Even though Inigo Montoya is just a made-up character in a fictional story his well-known line to this day shows that there are lessons to be learned about revenge.

Works Cited

1. “The Grace of Forgiveness.” Judith Orloff MD, 29 Mar. 2018, drjudithorloff.com/grace-forgiveness-even-9-11/.
2. “The Power of Forgiveness: Why Revenge Doesn’t Work.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/emotional-freedom/201109/the-power-forgiveness-why-revenge-doesnt-work%3famp.
3. “The Psychology of Revenge.” Science of People, 18 Jan. 2019,www.scienceofpeople.com/the-psychology-of-revenge/.
4. “Why Revenge Is Pointless.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/why-revenge-is-pointless_b_689132/amp.
5. “Why We Should Leave Revenge To Karma.” Elite Daily, www.elitedaily.com/life/why-we-need-to-stop-seeking-revenge.

Everyone’s minds think differently and work in various ways. For some, it is more extensive than others. Healthy adults, children, and teenagers, all think in different ways, but to understand how someone thinks with a disease such as Schizophrenia is extremely different. The daily life and struggles of a schizophrenic are difficult, and hard to overcome. They are difficult for not only the patient, but the family and the community as well. While not every case is extremely severe, every schizophrenic must learn how to cope with their mental disorder, and take the proper medication and care needed to protect them from their disorder. Every year, approximately 40% of adults with Schizophrenia are not diagnosed or treated. Scientists are creating new treatments, and opening more facilities to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia. Luckily, this disease has become even more knowledgeable over the last centuries, and we continue to gain knowledge about it everyday. Emile Kraepelin was the first person to discover the disease formerly known as dementia praecox, and now known as Schizophrenia. Some of the focused aspects that Schizophrenia affects is the brain, the body, life, and families.

So what is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects how a person thinks feels and behaves. It often occurs after puberty, between late teens to early 30’s. Males tend to develop the disease earlier than females. There are both positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms for schizophrenia. “People with positive effects may lose touch of reality.” (NIH, 2017) Some positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking, and agitated body movements. “People with negative symptoms have disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors.” (NIH, 2017) Some negative symptoms include reduced expression of emotions, reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life, difficulty beginning and sustaining activities, and reduced speaking. “Cognitive symptoms are more severe and patients may notice changes in their memory or other aspects of thinking.” (NIH, 2017) Some cognitive symptoms include poor ability to understand information and use it to make decisions, trouble focusing or paying attention, and problems with the ability to use information immediately after learning it. These are all symptoms that are affecting the patient’s ability to live a normal life.

Schizophrenia affects more than the ability to think correctly. It affects the body a tremendous amount. While the primary part of the body affected is the brain, a person with Schizophrenia has changes in hormone levels, inflammation, glucose, and cholesterol levels. What happens to the brain of a schizophrenic? A study run by Nancy Andreasen at the University of Iowa say, “subjects with Schizophrenia demonstrated a high amount of brain tissue loss in the first 2 years.” (Whiteman, 2013) This is very traumatic and damaging for the brain to go through, and they discovered that the “anti-psychotic medication led to an even higher loss of brain tissue.” (Whiteman, 2013) Schizophrenia also affects a person’s thoughts. One may feel as though, “their mind is jumping from one unrelated thought to another.” (Goldberg, 2018) They may also feel as though their thoughts are being withdrawn from their own head, or when someone feels as though they are being interrupted from their own thoughts.

The brain is not the only thing affected by this mental illness, someone’s quality of life is tremendously affected as well. Schizophrenia can cause a, “significant change in friends or social isolation, difficulty in school, sleep problems, irritability, difficult telling reality from fantasy, paranoia, and an odd manner of thinking or speaking.” (Tracyn, 2012) All of these can cause a tremendous imbalance of what was once a normal daily routine. Unfortunately, many patients with Schizophrenia are, “unable to hold a job and must live with friends or relatives that can care for them.” (Treatment, 2017) A patient may hear voices in their head on a day to day basis; these voices may order them to do things that they obey, which can lead to self harm. A schizophrenic can also face severe trouble when they are in public by themselves. They may, “face ridicule for their actions, or they could unwillingly start fights with people who are unaware of their disease.” (Treatment, 2017) As a schizophrenic, you are unable to achieve life goals, and participate in normal day to day activities such as getting coffee on your way to work. How someone chooses to deal with these problems is entirely up to them and their support system.

Schizophrenia can cause a family heartbreak and can change their life entirely. Due to the fact that most patients are living with a family member, this can take a toll on their life and change their daily life. This can also increase family members stress. Living with a Schizophrenic can be scary at times, and, “ In many instances, patients come to believe that they are in some kind of danger or that certain people they know are plotting to harm them.” (Treatment, 2017) This can lead to depression, stress, and extreme anger or frustration. Family members must cope with, “their caregiving responsibilities, their own emotional distress, the symptoms of schizophrenia, increased stress and disruption, the mental health system, and social stigma.” (Advanced Solutions International, Inc, 2018) Every family is different and will have different concerns, needs, and responsibilities. There are also communities with excellent amounts of services for families with schizophrenia, and communities with fewer services. This can impact the care given to a schizophrenic and the way a family is able to cope with the new reality of life.

So what’s it like to live with a mental illness, specifically Schizophrenia? Paula Derrow tells us her story about living with Schizophrenia. She talks about how she used to be an extremely bubbly and happy individual. She was a calm and peaceful person up until 2011 when she was sent to jail for yelling at a neighbor over a parking spot. Both her and her family were shocked after the incident, because it was very unusual behavior from her. She tells us about her transition from a “normal” college student to a Schizophrenic. She was, “23 and attending college, while also working in a restaurant. I was one of the best servers; I didn’t even need a notepad to take down people’s orders.” (Tanara, 2018) About a year later she started experiencing strange emotions and attitudes that were unlike her. She was, “paranoid, started seeing things, and hearing voices. I didn’t want to get dressed or even get out of bed. I didn’t understand what was going on.” (Tanara, 2018) A year after this she was put into a hospital for a mood disorder and put on various medications. She was not enrolled in classes during this time and eventually stopped taking medication because her symptoms were gone. She hit a point where she felt good enough to go back to doing work. In April of 2010 the symptoms returned and she felt paranoid again, her, “family convinced her to check herself into a psychiatric hospital.” (Tanara, 2018) She failed to tell her doctors about all of her symptoms, including paranoia and hallucinations, which caused a misdiagnosis. Shortly after her discharge she quit taking medications again, which caused her to hit a breaking point. This was the same year that she was sent to jail after the screaming match with her neighbor over a parking spot. The judge ordered her to a psychiatric hospital, where she first, “opened up about about what I was experiencing—the voices, the paranoia. She said, “You are battling schizophrenia.” I didn’t even know what that meant.” (Tanara, 2018) At the hospital she gained friends, knowledge on Schizophrenia, coping mechanisms, and learned about some of her triggers. Once she was released, and able to control her mental illness, she began to go back to living a more normal life. She is now able to help others battling the same struggles as her. While diagnosis for Schizophrenia can sometimes be tricky, there is always a way to deal with it. It may not be the normal she was once used to, but it is normal enough.

Myles is another college student, trying to live his out his normal college experience. He was taken to the hospital at the age of 20. He was driven from the campus from which he was suspended at, by campus police. He burst into his professors room and accused him of taking money and would not leave when asked to. During his high school career, Myles was very successful in academics. During the past year his behavior had began to become abrupt, and family members began to notice. His sister said that, “she had often seen him mumbling quietly to himself and at times he seemed to be talking to people who were not there. He would emerge from his room and ask his family to be quiet even when they were not making any noise.” (Myles, 2019) He grew fascinated with crime, and was constantly paranoid that there were drugs hidden in the hospitals food. He eventually agreed to sign himself into a psychiatric hospital. This is a direct example of how a young male with schizophrenia can fastly decline in daily skills. This disease caused embarrassment, outbreaks, arrests, and consistent paranoia that the world was out to get him. Myles was a young adult who grew into a mental illness that will affect the rest of his life, and his daily routine.

When you begin to experience your first symptoms of Schizophrenia, you quickly become disconnected from the person you used to be. Alex tells us about the paranoia she lived with for months. At first, she didn’t even realize what was happening and was constantly confused. She was unable to keep a social life and was irritated and unable to function correctly. She was overwhelmed with sitting in a room with her friends and listening to two conversations; the one between her friends and the one in her head. The voices were friendly at first and quickly grew to a negative tone. At one point she thought her friends, “were watching me through a camera and had needed me to do things to prove my loyalty to my boyfriend. It was a horrendous, gruelling experience, and I remember falling asleep and waking up still terrified about what the next day might possibly bring.” (Alex, 2017) This was a gruelling and embarrassing experience for her, especially when she knocked on a neighbor’s door at 2am because she was confused why her friends were up there, even though they were not. She tells us how, “My sense of reality had become deeply distorted, and I couldn’t relate to or understand anything they said or did.” (Alex, 2017) This demonstrates how the effects of schizophrenia can completely alter someone’s life. She was eventually sedated and hospitalized, and got the help and treatments she needed. Schizophrenia really affects the lives of not only the individual, but the community around them. The family, friends, and community surrounding a schizophrenic can all notice frantic changes in behavior. This can cause loss in friends, and social life, before and after rehabilitation. Schizophrenia is a disturbing disease that clouds one’s judgement and way of life.

In conclusion, in order to understand how someone thinks with a disease such as Schizophrenia is extremely different than a healthy human. The daily life and struggles that someone with Schizophrenia has is difficult, but not only for the patient but for the family and the community as well. Some of the focused aspects that Schizophrenia affects is the brain, the body, life, and families. To learn about the disease and the facts behind it, backed up with personal stories is heartbreaking. People can lose a lot in their life from this disease. While not every case is extremely severe, every schizophrenic must learn how to cope with their mental disorder, and take the proper medication and care needed to protect them from their disorder. Every year, approximately 40% of adults with Schizophrenia are not diagnosed or treated. If someone notices changes, similar to the ones discussed, in someone’s behavior they are recommended to get them the help and support they need. Due to schizophrenia becoming a more “popular” mental disorder, scientists are able to create new treatments, and open more facilities to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia. Luckly, schizophrenia has become even more knowledgeable over the last centuries, and we continue to gain knowledge about it everyday.

Since the beginning of my time in college, I have noticed the smoking culture that exists amongst college students. This captured my interest and when I got the opportunity to study a psychology related phenomenon, I decided to do a deeper study and analysis on smoking in relation to social interaction. For this literature review, I have assessed three papers to understand the relation between smoking, social interaction and social behaviour.

The first paper is a research paper by Robert R. Clark published in 2009. In this paper he studied the behaviour patterns of smokers and non-smokers in various situations of social interaction and co-related it to various behaviours associated with smoking. (Clark, 2009) The experiment took into account 91 smokers in 117 social settings. The demographic range of smokers was diverse as they were taken from different age groups, sex and race. The social interaction settings included public places, work places and private places. The method used for the study was independent field observation and raters of a videotape recording of an interaction. To ensure reliability of the method, independent field observation by 14 observers was taken into consideration and was compared to that made by the author and several raters of behaviour were made to analyse the videotape of a conversation between a smoker and a non-smoker. However, the paper did not explain the methods clearly and properly.

Though the author tried his best to make his sampling and methods diverse, there are certain confounds. Firstly, according to the data provided in the paper, 76% of the subjects who were made to interact in different social interaction settings knew each other from before as either family and friends or work colleagues. This introduces a bias and makes the findings inaccurate due to the relationship dynamics that are already present between the subjects rather than smoking. Secondly, although the author does take measures to ensure reliability, he does not give enough importance to the validity of the findings. Analysing only one videotape by different raters and drawing conclusions based on it, does not ensure validity as personal biases can deviate the findings to a large extent.

Apart from these criticisms, the paper provides a suggestion which I am considering using as an alternate method in my experiment. In this method, I can divide my subjects into six groups with each group comprising of only smokers and give them a topic to discuss but with two different settings over a span of a week. In the first setting, smoking would not be allowed and in the second one it would be allowed. Comparison would be drawn on the intensity and depth of the discussion in the six groups in the two different settings.

In the second paper by David and Charles, they studied the effects of smoking on heartrate, anxiety and mood/emotions during social interaction. (Gilbert, Spieiberger, 1986) The experiment they conducted was too controlled. The experiment involved 12 subjects, 6 males and 6 females, who were divided into groups of 2 of the same sex. The duos were made to sit in a room for three different sessions spanned over a period of 3 to 20 days. For each session, the duos were given topics for discussions. Their speaking, smoking and time of interaction was very restrictive and monitoring. Due to this reason, the subjects may have gotten overwhelmed by the set up and the instructions, which may have affected the way they smoke, discuss and put forth their opinions. Their heartrate, anxiety, mood and involvement in the interaction may have differed because of the overwhelming nature of the experiment rather than the act of smoking or the effect of nicotine. Therefore, it lacks naturalistic surroundings which is ideal for experiments which involve acts of smoking and social behaviour. The discussion should have been left open and the amount and intensity of speaking by each of the participants should have been assessed as telling participants when to speak and when not to can be very leading.

However, the initial part of the experiment in which a questionnaire is given to the subjects to gauge their interests and opinions on various topics can be incorporated in my previously mentioned alternate method. By evaluating the responses to the questionnaire, I can divide groups in such a manner that the subjects have different opinions about certain topics. This will help in ensuring interesting and active conversations between the subjects which will in turn help in my assessment.

In the paper, Social Factors of Cigarette Smoking Initiation among Undergraduate College students Jane F. Emmerée did extensive research on various factors which affect initiation of smoking amongst undergraduate students. In one part, he explains the relationship between the three explanatory variables and smoking. One of the variables he discusses is sociability. Even he agrees that as compared to the amount of research on the relationship between friends’ behaviour and smoking initiation, effects of smoking on sociability and social behaviour has been studied less extensively. Yet overall, a limited number of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies have found a positive relationship between smoking and sociability or social behaviour.

In the past, research and experiment done by Cherry & Kiernan in 1976 and Spielberger & Jacobs in 1982 have established the fact that smokers are significantly more likely than non-smokers to be extroverts, as mentioned in the review paper. (Emmerée, 2003) Reading the paper, opened up another aspect of looking at the relation between smoking and sociability in a reverse manner. This means that study can be done on how extroversion or sociability influences non-smokers to initiate smoking. Though my hypothesis establishes a causal relation between smoking and social interaction, to extend it later on and make it a correlation I can take into account the inverse relationship mentioned in the review paper. This will not only broaden my study but will also increase its validity which is a very essential component of a psychology experiment.

The findings of all the three papers seem to have established a positive correlation between smoking and social behaviour or social interaction. However, the methods used are flawed. This area of research could afford a more objective and reliable measure in order for it to be more insightful.

Substance Abuse Counseling: Definition

This term describes therapeutic coaching offered to an alcohol or substance addict as a way of encouraging, supporting, and even guiding them on better ways to shun their addictive life. Similar to how sports persons need training to achieve a definite goal, so is this initiative.

The procedure cooperates with the presence of a highly trained professional with proper experience in human philosophy. Mental disorders manifest differently among different people and also vary in their types by age and gender. Hence, some will suffer despair while another apprehension, food, or even behavioral disorders – conditions that may not be handled easily by a layperson especially when they are of extreme levels.

Counselors, in this case, are trained to listen keenly to clients’ sentiments explaining why they engage in substance abuse which could be either street or prescription drugs, alcohol, or any other peculiar behavior. It is out of this that they come up with the best healing procedure suitable for an individual. They can recommend or incorporate special treatment techniques such as 12-step programs.

Most counselors in this category are sourced among those besides their degrees of qualification; they have background experience in situations of mental illnesses. They could be persons who were abusers before and later formed a great passion for coaching others not imitating their past giving essential reasons. Also, they could be people who had a family member or relative suffering from such mental complications and built interest in addressing the issues with the rest of society.

Along with this line, the duties of a counselor vary according to their specific areas of specialization. Their core mission and goal, however, is to educate substance abusers on how best to live a sober life and remain strong to succumb to relapse temptations.

The rest of their duties comprise;

• Arranging special meetings with their client to evaluate their conditions and discuss more issues of their concern.
• Pointing out issues and creating goals as well as issuing treatment plans
• Educating the client on practical coping techniques
• Offering a helping hand to client acquiring jobs of their career interest
• Presiding over therapy sessions group
• Availing up-to-date reports on the health status of a client to the courts
• Offering references to specific groups that could also be of help if a client joins
• Structuring an aftercare strategy for a client
• Holding a counseling session for the client’s family members – letting them comprehend the condition of one of their own.

Note that as a counselor, one will always face almost similar conditions for any mental disorder. Majorly, there will be behavioral problems. Most of the patients under this category suffer a lot of engagement in inappropriate behavior.

If you work individually as a drug counselor, you’ll have the same types of tasks, but you’ll work strictly with clients suffering from drug abuse issues rather than eating disorders or gambling addictions.

Organizations for Substance Abuse Counseling

As many learners would imagine, education in professional counseling does not end with a degree certificate. There is more that comes with it. First, one will have to grow aggressive in learning more, consulting, making publications, participating in discoveries, and also earning more experience working in different conditions probably with different patients.

In this regard, being part of a professional organization has always offered a golden opportunity for one to acquire all these. Under their umbrella, one can easily access essential facilities and even financial support in case of research one wishes to undertake towards finding more solutions. The uniqueness of every organization also offers a better opportunity for one to learn more about various subjects essential for this career.

Below is a list of highly reputable organizations.

• The International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC): This organization belongs among the many of the American Counseling Association divisions. It mainly focuses on the publication of the research works of both the masters-prepared practitioners, as well as graduate students on relevant topics in this course.
• The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP): The design of this organization is suitable for only students at their doctoral level of studies. Through their annual membership conference, the team gets to publish journals on Addiction topics.
• The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) organization: This is purely meant for physicians. Their membership consists of approximately 3000 persons. They mainly have lots of clinical guidelines on addiction medicine exercise.
• Division 50: As part of the American Psychological Association Society Addiction Psychology offers highly reputable services. It also provides resources and education for psychology students alongside psychologists like the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Group Counseling

The term defines psychotherapy training offered for persons experiencing a similar situation of concern. Many would imagine it to be intimidating, however getting to meet and share similar experiences with others provides a better chance for one to express themselves over their concern fully.

The program comes along with excellent benefits some of which include the following;

• One feels a sense of belonging when with a group sharing a similar concern
• Groups offer a suitable platform where one can express themselves to be heard
• Groups avail an opportunity for people to meet and learn from those who have fully recovered from the condition
• At first many may feel shy talking about their problems openly to a group, but with more sessions, they will begin conforming to the norms of it and begin exploring the freedom to share their problems.
• They open up means of one getting counsel from different people and therefore are never limited.
• They help bring out the hidden abilities and wisdom in somebody. It offers a better avenue for self-discovery.

Conclusion

The most effective treatment for some mental illnesses is counseling. So far the world has suffered and is still suffering from the great syndrome of substance abuse. Even as the law restricts the use of some illicit substances and private organizations raise campaigns on the same, high recruitment rates continue to reflect.

Whether street or pharmaceutical, drug abuse bears potential ill-health harm that can lead to more complicated situations which may at times lead to death. The most endangered group in this is the youth. Through their peer relationships, they find themselves incorporated into their lifestyle.

Research has it that sometimes it is the psychological aspect of one that leads them to abuse of these substances. Hence, Therefore, by imposing professional counseling on the infected persons, they may consider turning things around and shun their acts.

Through the many organizations out there, society is encouraged to stay away from the abuse of substances as the only thing it brings is more ill-health impacts.

Introduction

Childhood obesity is undeniably a pressing public health concern, with implications for both individual well-being and healthcare systems worldwide. In attempting to comprehend the complexities of obesity, the nature vs. nurture debate arises, prompting examination of genetic predispositions and environmental influences. While genetics undoubtedly play a role, environmental factors wield significant influence, underscoring the multifaceted nature of obesity.

Nature: Genetic Influences

Genetic factors intricately contribute to the development of childhood obesity, exerting influence on BMI variations and metabolic processes. Research reveals the existence of both monogenic and polygenic forms of obesity, each characterized by distinct genetic mutations impacting energy metabolism and adipogenesis. Moreover, genes associated with insulin action and glucose utilization play crucial roles in obesity development, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic predispositions and physiological pathways.

Nurture: Environmental Impact

In tandem with genetic predispositions, environmental factors significantly shape childhood obesity rates. Dietary patterns and lifestyle choices dictated by familial and societal influences can profoundly impact a child’s weight trajectory. Parental guidance regarding dietary decisions during formative years holds considerable sway, with socioeconomic status and social determinants further exacerbating disparities in obesity prevalence. Moreover, the pervasive influence of media and sedentary behaviors perpetuates unhealthy habits, contributing to the rising tide of childhood obesity.

Illustrating Environmental Influence

Consider the case of two siblings raised in the same household with a genetic predisposition to obesity. While both siblings share similar genetic backgrounds, their divergent environmental experiences yield disparate outcomes in weight status. The elder sibling, subjected to a sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in processed foods due to parental neglect and socioeconomic constraints, rapidly gains excess weight. In contrast, the younger sibling benefits from access to nutritious meals and ample opportunities for physical activity, facilitated by supportive parental guidance and a more favorable socioeconomic status. Despite genetic similarities, the elder sibling’s environment fosters obesity, underscoring the pivotal role of nurture in shaping weight outcomes.

Addressing Environmental Influences

To combat childhood obesity effectively, interventions must prioritize addressing environmental influences. Public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity should target families across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, addressing systemic inequities in access to nutritious foods and recreational opportunities. Moreover, regulatory measures targeting food marketing practices and sedentary entertainment mediums can mitigate environmental factors perpetuating unhealthy behaviors. By fostering supportive environments conducive to healthy lifestyles, communities can empower children to overcome genetic predispositions and achieve optimal weight outcomes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the nature vs. nurture debate concerning childhood obesity underscores the complex interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental influences. While genetic factors contribute to obesity susceptibility, environmental determinants wield significant influence, shaping dietary patterns, lifestyle choices, and weight trajectories. Through exemplification, the profound impact of environmental factors on obesity outcomes becomes evident, emphasizing the imperative of addressing systemic inequities and promoting supportive environments conducive to healthy living. By recognizing and addressing environmental influences, stakeholders can mitigate the burden of childhood obesity and foster a healthier future for generations to come.

Brain function is what makes up the characteristics of the human person and when humans are born, their brain does not know right from wrong. Over time, people learn good and evil through experience and watching others. Their ideas of morality and what constitutes right from wrong come from the way they have been raised and the environment they have been brought up in. Humans are not born intrinsically good. Brain function is what makes up the characteristics of the human person. When people are raised they are taught how to act and what is good and bad. The brain instinctively only thinks of survival and not whether or not it is morally correct.

Physiological effects

Certain things can affect someone psychologically and even though there is treatment, there isn’t a way to get rid of that psychological trauma that has been caused. Everyone perceives situations differently, for example to one person they may be harsh and rude, and to another person, they can be firm and get their point across. This is an example of how situations change the person’s perspective, “The term psychosocial refers to the psychological and social factors that influence mental health. Social influences such as peer pressure, parental support, cultural and religious background, socioeconomic status, and interpersonal relationships all help to shape personality and influence psychological makeup.”(Staub) Everyone handles situations differently, but when a baby has a concussion can lead to mental disorders and affect how they think in situations. So that might impair their sense of morality and think good is bad and bad is good. You are not born with these instincts you gain this knowledge through your surroundings. “Individuals with psychosocial disorders frequently have difficulty functioning in social situations and may have problems effectively communicating with others.” (Staub) People can get all sorts of mental disorders, there are 200 mental disorders known. There are a lot of traumas that could affect how people think, feel, and act. Everyone has their struggles and some things can help such as talking to people about it, going to support groups, or medication can help with some of the symptoms.

Trauma

Many other different things can cause psychosocial trauma, and counseling or support groups are usually the main treatment for people with psychosocial disorders. People go to counseling to talk about how they feel, It’s a place you can go without judgment and teach people how to solve problems healthily and live a happier life. For example “The majority of psychological disorders are thought to be caused by a complex combination of biological, genetic (hereditary), familial, and social factors or biopsychosocial influences. In addition, the role that each of these plays can differ from person to person, so that a disorder such as depression that is caused by genetic factors in one person may be caused by a traumatic life event in another.” (Bègue) People can have or get mental disorders, because of things that occured in their life, such as their mom dying and they feel like it’s their fault, which could cause depression. Another example is if a person has an abusive family and then has “Neurodevelopmental disorders are those that are typically formed during infancy, childhood, or adolescence, that means that you can have intellectual disability, communication disorders, and Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.” (Bègue) That shows why some people see counselors to talk about these situations or other problems where they can freely talk, and find helpful solutions. “Counseling is typically a front-line treatment for psychosocial disorders….Many individuals are successful in treating psychosocial disorders through regular attendance in self-help groups or 12-step programs.”(Bègue) This shows how the mental effects can be helped through, there are a lot of programs out there to help. Psychological trauma can be tied in with mental disorders.

Mental disorders

Psychological trauma causes more damage than people think. It is a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a distressing event. Trauma is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds one’s ability to cope or integrate the emotions involved with that experience. “Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the word trauma was used primarily to designate physiological injury emanating from an external event. Beginning in the 1860s, however, the term acquired additional significance when survivors and witnesses of industrial accidents began to show symptoms of trauma in the absence of any observable physical injury.” (Bègue) It was like in World War II, men would come back and have serious cases of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and their sounds or actions would trigger their PTSD. They were brought back and told to live a normal life, but nobody would be normal after seeing the things they saw. “These symptoms typically included mutism, amnesia, tics, paralysis, recurrent nightmares, and, in some extreme cases, psychic dissociation. Observing a pattern that linked exposure to an overwhelming event with forms of mental disorder, doctors coined the term traumatic neurosis.” (Cherry) People with Psychological trauma have these symptoms mentioned in the quote Psychological trauma is not always caused by something big, it can be something as “simple” as stress. Psychoanalysis is a system of psychological theory and therapy which aims to treat mental disorders. They are used in therapy to help with Psychological trauma.

Psychoanalysis

There is a purpose to psychoanalysis and there are demographics to it. Psychoanalysis is investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind through techniques such as dream interpretation and free association. “Psychoanalysis is classified as an insight-oriented rather than a supportive form of therapy because it is based on the notion that people are better able to make changes in their lives when they have improved their understanding of themselves through identifying their assumptions about life and the early life experiences that gave rise to them.” (Bègue) Therapy uses psychoanalysis to understand and try to help work through some of the traumas people go through. Psychoanalysis isn’t only used for bad traumas, you can also use it to fix problems and make better decisions. “In the words of the American Psychoanalytic Association, “Psychoanalytic treatment allows patients to examine these assumptions, understand their origins in their lives, modify them if necessary, and make better choices for themselves.”(Bègue) Psychoanalysis is helpful to understand, and get insight into what they need to work on or help improve their life.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies relates to the main topic of Are humans Intrinsically Good, it helps with the Psychological point of my paper. In lord of the Flies, the boys are stuck on the island and are forced to survive together. The book shows the psyche of the boys and what they go through on the island. They talk about how they feel, towards other people, about missing home, about their fears. “Evil is inherent in the human mind, whatever innocence may cloak it…”(Golding) This quote states their fear of the beast. But Simon a boy in the book sees the “real truth” and that the only fear they should have is them. He sees the truth on the island and he is killed by the other boys. He mentioned the fear of the beast and how the boys imagined the beast so they have an excuse to be scared on a deserted island with a bunch of boys and no adults. “The thing is – fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream.” (Golding) This quote shows exactly what Simon means about the beast. Simon was killed before he could show this perspective. This was a survival mentality, if you were weak you wouldn’t be respected the same as another boy on the island, in this case, this character was Piggy. Later in the book, Piggy’s glasses are stolen by a group that broke away from the original group. So they go to retrieve them in a good manner and he is killed during this time. This is the survival mentality anyone would do anything to survive, even if that means that you usually wouldn’t do it when you are put in a situation like that you don’t know what you would do. “He found himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life… though it were part of a brighter childhood”(Golding) “Kill the beast! Cut its throat! Spill the blood!”(Golding) These quotes show the “evil within” it shows how they have this natural feeling to hunt and kill and now see their true colors. In the end, Ralph has Piggy’s glasses on his belt and is no longer a boy now is a man. The book shows the mental struggles they face throughout the book.

Brain Function

Brain function is what makes up the characteristics of the human person and when humans are born, their brains do not know right from wrong. Over time, people learn good and evil through experience and watching others. Their ideas of morality and what constitutes right from wrong come from the way they have been raised and the environment they have been brought up in.

Conclusion

Humans are not born instinctively good. Brain function is what makes up the characteristics of the human person and when humans are born, their brains do not know right from wrong. When people are raised they are taught how to act and what is good and bad. The brain instinctively only thinks of survival and not whether or not it is morally correct.

The endocrine system regulates the activities of the body by secreting hormones into the bloodstream. Depending on high or low hormone levels, it can increase the likelihood of certain behaviours. For example, heightened testosterone is linked to aggressive behavior, high levels of estrogen are linked to happiness, and high oxytocin levels are linked to love and bonding. Testosterone, estrogen, and oxytocin are the hormones this essay will be focusing on and how they affect behavior. Biological psychology is often overlooked when it comes to assessing behavior, and as human beings, we don’t want to believe that biology is responsible for our behavior because that means we have no control over it.

Oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus (primarily during sexual intercourse and childbirth) and is secreted by the pituitary gland. Oxytocin plays different roles within women and men. It plays a crucial role in childbirth; it signals contractions during labor by stimulating the uterine muscles to begin the contractions and is also used as a drug (called synthetic oxytocin) to induce women into labor, it also helps move labor along by producing prostaglandins that help labor progress and move along. Oxytocin has a less important role in men; it helps with male reproduction by moving sperm and affects the production of testosterone in the testicles. Oxytocin is nicknamed ‘the love hormone’ and triggers the bond between mother and baby. Many studies done on animals have shown that oxytocin is of crucial importance for understanding mother-infant relationships; the study was a systematic search of three databases and other sources for published research studies that studied oxytocin and mother-infant relations. Oxytocin that was inserted into the bloodstream by nasal spray has also been proven to increase personality traits such as trust, selflessness, warmth, and openness in social situations. Because of the studies supporting that oxytocin increases positive behaviors, it has been suggested to use oxytocin as psychiatric therapy to treat social phobia, autism, and postpartum depression. This makes sense as oxytocin increases people’s behavior in social situations, and people with autism and social phobia tend to struggle in social situations. High and low levels of oxytocin are both possible but affect both men and women differently. There has not been much research done studying the implications of too much or too little oxytocin. High levels of oxytocin in men have previously been linked to benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition that affects over 50% of men over the age of 50 that affects the prostate and can cause difficulty in passing urine. Low oxytocin levels in women prevent a mother from being able to breastfeed, as there would be a stunt in milk ejection. Low oxytocin levels have also been linked to autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and depression. Some psychologists believe that oxytocin could be used to treat mental illness, but there has not been enough research done.

Estrogen is known as ‘the female hormone’ and is responsible for the sexual development of girls when they reach puberty. The correlation between estrogen and emotion was first studied over a hundred years ago. Estrogen is very dominant in controlling emotions and emotional behavior, especially in women. Self-rated depression scores among women who have had their ovaries removed were massively decreased when they were given estrogen, this instigates that estrogen improves mood and emotional feelings. 95% of women who have fluctuated estrogen levels suffer from reoccurring psychosis and an extreme increase in negative emotions. The studies discussed suggest that stable, high levels of estrogen in women improve emotional state and mood, and therefore the overall quality of life. But there are also studies that suggest that high estrogen levels can cause weight gain around the hips, low sex drive, depression, and anxiety. Low levels of estrogen in women can cause depression, headaches, vaginal dryness (causes pain during sex), mood swings, a decrease in bone density, breast tenderness, and absent/irregular periods. Because a lack of estrogen in women can cause many problems, estrogen therapy can be administered orally, vaginally, or via injection. Ovaries stop producing estrogen when a woman starts menopause, and the symptoms can be treated through estrogen therapy as mentioned. Men also produce estrogen which is secreted by the adrenal glands and testicles. High levels of estrogen in men can cause infertility because estrogen lessens the concentration in sperm. Estrogen also causes gynecomastia, which is an overgrowth of breast tissue, and male breasts appear larger than the average male chest would. Estrogen can also cause erectile dysfunction, stunted/slowed growth in height and penis length, extreme fatigue, and intense mood swings. Because high levels of estrogen in men aren’t as positive as they are in women, there are several aromatase inhibitors available, which are medication that prevents the enzyme from converting androgens into estrogen, such as anastrozole, exemestane, letrozole. High levels of estrogen in men can cause chronic depression, men have been recorded saying that their self-esteem levels decrease massively because of the way they look, and they claim to feel ‘less of a man’ or a ‘poor example of a man’. High estrogen can be treated by changing diet, losing weight, and in more drastic situations, doctors can prescribe medication that reduces estrogen levels.

Testosterone is widely known as the ‘male hormone’ and the ‘aggression hormone’. Women produce testosterone from their ovaries and adrenal glands, but in much smaller doses. Signals from the brain to the pituitary gland control the production of testosterone, the pituitary gland then relays the signal to the testicles to produce the testosterone, and if the testosterone levels are too high, the brain reduces the signals of production. Testosterone is primarily responsible (in men) for the development of the testicles and penis, the deepening of the voice, the development of facial and pubic hair (also linked to balding in later life), muscle size and strength, libido, and the production of sperm. Research done by Dabbs discovered that violent criminals, aggressive boys, and military offenders all had higher-than-average levels of testosterone. Testosterone is important for ovarian function and the libido within women. Abnormally high testosterone in men can cause heart muscle damage which causes an increased risk of a heart attack, increased muscle mass, acne, overly aggressive behavior, and intense mood swings. Low testosterone levels in men cause loss of muscle mass, a low libido, small testicles and penis, and a low sperm count. Like any other hormone, testosterone has a different effect on women. High testosterone levels in women can cause polycystic ovary syndrome, deepening of the voice, reduced fertility, facial hair, decreased breast size, and weight gain. Women who can’t produce testosterone or don’t produce enough testosterone can suffer from poor bone strength and depression, and have a low libido. This instigates that high levels of testosterone are responsible for an overpowering sex drive. There is treatment available for both low levels of testosterone and high levels of testosterone. To treat low testosterone levels, there is testosterone replacement, which is used to treat symptoms of low testosterone levels and is often used to treat osteoporosis because it strengthens bones and improves bone density. If someone is suffering from too much testosterone, there is a medication called spironolactone which blocks the actions of male sex hormones. Criminologist John Archer published an article after doing first-hand research in a prison that states that violent prisoners show higher testosterone levels than prisoners who are in prison for non-violent crimes. Testosterone and aggression have been researched as far back as the early 1900s. Edwards (1968) gave testosterone to newborn female mice and this resulted in them acting with an abnormal amount of aggression compared to the adult female mice given testosterone.

If there is more understanding of the implications of having too much or too little of a certain hormone, then there will be more understanding of why people might behave the way they do. After considering the research, it seems that estrogen is responsible for emotional behavior and emotional states, testosterone seems to be responsible for aggressive and sexual behavior and oxytocin seems to be responsible for love and bonding behavior. The three behaviors linked with this hormone are on different ends of the spectrum: estrogen and oxytocin are responsible for emotion/bonding/love, whereas testosterone is responsible for a completely different behavior, aggression. These hormones affect men and women in different ways as stated. Hormones do not count for 100% of human behavior, otherwise, the nature vs nurture debate is irrelevant.

The importance of knowledge about teacher growth and development According to ZaidRehman, all children in 2015 were directly affected by genetic and environmental factors, but most were all. Applies to the child. There are certain developments. There are models. .. All children. In today’s education, it is important to have a deep understanding of these developments. These understandings can be used to maximize classroom problems.

According to Zaid Rehman’s 2015 survey, educational psychology can support teachers in the following ways: Social aspect. Children. And emotional development. Understanding Children’s Problems: Educational Psychology helps you understand the problems of learning about your child’s psychological, physical, social, and emotional problems during education. After learning educational psychology to understand the learning process, teachers know how to use learning principles, methods, and theories in the process of education. To understand the characteristics of development, individuals have undergone several stages of development, including early childhood, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each step has its characteristics. It helps shape student behavior for effective development processes. Choice of Teaching Method: Educational psychology helps teachers select appropriate teaching methods in the classroom based on the learning environment of an individual student. It also helps develop new skills and strategies for teaching heterogeneous groups. Improving the quality of education: Educational psychology aims to help teachers improve the quality of education. Creating a Favorable Learning Environment: The classroom environment includes an environment and management suitable for the child’s learning. Educational psychology helps teachers create such a learning environment for school students.

Sociality in the classroom: Educational psychology helps students improve their team’s motivation, team spirit, and leadership skills. Academic Maintenance: Educational Psychology continues its research through creative and constructive activities. We support education so that we can effectively address discipline issues. Identifying children with special needs: Children with special needs are those with adaptive education and learning processes. You may have a physical, intellectual, or learning disability. Educational psychology helps teachers identify their children. Map service provided: Teachers need to provide tutoring, education, vocational and social education to improve their children’s lives. Educational psychology helps students provide goal-star services. Knowing the Teacher Personally: Educational Psychology helps teachers understand what they are and what they should do in an educational environment. It also helps to assess educational potential and abilities. While studying Educational Psychology, teachers can understand your emotional, and physical comfort, social and cognitive abilities, and more. To evaluate results Educational Psychology provides psychological tests to evaluate students’ learning outcomes. Research Educational Psychology enables teachers to develop research attitudes and conduct research to improve personal behavior in an educational environment. Areas related to educational psychology include: How can children learn the technique? When is it most effective? What factors contribute to the learning process? How do you measure the amount of learning? Is there a cheaper way to access AE memory? Why do we forget? Can you improve your memory? Teachers can use psychology to answer these questions. Learning is more efficient when each teacher takes into account factors such as motivation or interest. Using psychological knowledge, teachers were able to change their attitudes in the process of teaching and learning. We are promoting child-centered education that will change the method of research in educational psychology. Psychological principles are used at different stages of the prescribing process. Thus, teachers can understand human behavior and increase teacher efficiency. It is expected that you will be able to understand a person while learning psychology. It has to do with your hopes, desires, fears, abilities, possibilities for learning, joy, limits, and achievements.

The main purpose of psychology is to explain, explain, predict, and control human behavior. Therefore, knowledge of psychology is very important in the process of interaction with students and education. The Carnegie Forum on Psychology Knowledge Education Task Force and Holmes Group’s Education Reform and Teacher Education Proposals describe teacher reflections and new visions for children’s teachers involved in the overall learning process. Being able to learn at any time means participating in learning and developing lifelong skills for you and your students. 33 Just as the development of cognitive psychology influenced the field of educational psychology, it also influenced the field of recent developmental psychology. This vision advocates learning teachers throughout their careers and interacting with growing professionals. By developing continuous learning skills, teachers can review the learning process and help other teachers understand their learning styles. For teachers to become experts again, they need metacognitive knowledge that they can learn in the classroom and metacognitive knowledge that they teach in the classroom. First, students know their perceptions. Students use knowledge to gain information, increase understanding, and study in the classroom. The knowledge acquired in the classroom includes the ability to remember self-awareness or cognitive knowledge learned in the classroom and the ability to remember knowledge in the classroom. While little research is done on teachers’ cognitive knowledge, many studies, such as educational psychologists, are an important part of the educational experience that allows teachers to learn their own perceptions or intentional behaviors. .. Teacher learning and thinking is a new field in educational psychology.

The above discussion and various current studies show the emergence of a new field of knowledge in the field of educational psychology. While the subject of teacher learning was the focus of early research by educational psychologists who learned education 10 years ago, 36 educational psychology represents teacher learning in an important field of learning. do it. I.I. There is no tendency. Over the past decade, educational psychologists have been interested in studying teacher behavior to study the teacher’s thoughts and knowledge. 37 (Reinhard and Putnam) (Teacher’s Knowledge Network and Literature Theory Study) and Ranparutil (teacher’s role in understanding the subject and explaining the meaning of students) are well expressed. 38 Studies You can see studies on the causes and methods of teaching behavior. Like other researchers’ literature, this paper limits the way teachers in their world think, plan, and make decisions. Find a way. So, we use psychology to understand how teachers build relationships with teachers in powerful ways. This type of psychological window is used to evaluate a teacher’s thinking education Psychological lens opens up new possibilities for metaphors and conveys new ideas on how to connect them with psychological teacher education. there.

Researchers who study teacher thinking and knowledge often use the horizontal method rather than the vertical method, so they do not have time to think about the teacher’s learning and thinking. Recently, educational psychologists and teacher education have begun to collaborate to conduct longitudinal studies of how teachers will learn and teach. They learned the knowledge and character development of 11 different teacher education programs, writing, and math teachers over 3 years. It also checks the teacher’s beliefs, such as the concept of knowledge. Do not hesitate to find a new business with this research. These methods and results can benefit educational psychologists who are trying to study student learning in teacher education programs. Most of the content and results of this study cannot be found in modern educational psychology textbooks, as teacher accident investigations and teacher learning studies are relatively new. The results of this study have not yet been published in textbooks, but this topic allows you to configure the content area that you must learn and teach in the educational psychology of the teacher preparation program. Psychology knowledge learned from teachers can contribute to the effective education of educational psychology in two ways. First, this method is very useful as Educational Psychology has begun to conceptualize the process of teaching and learning Educational Psychology for teachers in the 21st century. Second, it is especially useful for educational psychologists to apply the content and methods of educational psychology to each student.

Imagine you are a native student in China. You have long hours of school and shorter holidays, also you might be in a school in which there is education also on Saturdays. You should also attend cram schools which the education system doesn’t require but is a must if you don’t want to fall behind your fellow schoolmates. You spend your entire day going to school and doing your homework. Your elders expect much from you, in fact, what is expected from you to be perfect, otherwise, how would you be successful in this education system?

Whether it is their parents, educational system, or society, Chinese students’ environment is pushing them to have achievement obsession which leads them to a common psychological problem and that is perfectionism. They aim to be perfect in order to meet others’ expectations and to compete with others. There is nothing wrong with aiming to be good and wanting to be a successful student. But in case of any failures, perfectionist people tend to have stress and depression which is a high probability if you are a student in China. Although some people believe that perfectionism is a good treat to have, I suggest that perfectionism is dominantly affecting Chinese students in a bad way.

Although there was research on perfectionism in the past too, these studies were not comprehensive enough. Perfectionism has gained more attention lately and is an attractive research area since it affects many people. Authors state that perfectionism has traditionally been operationalized as a single-dimensional construct containing only positive or only negative effects. More recent theories, however, define perfectionism as a multidimensional personality construct that contains both negative and positive components. (Parkinson and Abela). “Perfectionism is a dispositional tendency to strive for flawlessness, set excessively high standards, and experience disappointment with anything falling short of perfection.” (Smith and Sherry). When perfectionist people are not able to meet their expectations of themselves, they immediately get mentally affected by the situation and tend to have depressive feelings.

Perfectionist peoples’ behaviors and mindsets differ from each other too. Researchers argued their approaches to this situation and agreed that there are roughly two types of perfectionism which are adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. While both types are marked by the pursuit of high personal standards, maladaptive perfectionism includes intense self-depreciation when personal standards are not reached (Ashby and Gnilka). Maladaptive perfectionists indeed are affected worse than adaptive perfectionists because they are more likely to have depressive feelings. Although adaptive perfectionists are known for their standards and their perfectionism is thought to be helpful to them, in China’s education system and social environment, that is not the case for Chinese students at all.

Chinese students have an education system that loads their many responsibilities and requires long hours of study including homework and weekend classes. Their education environment is too competitive because there are many competitors and a challenging education system. In such an environment, perfectionism has a very high possibility to cause stress and depression. Numerous authors have highlighted the role of perfectionism in stress and suggested that individuals with higher-level or perfectionism have a higher level of stress and are vulnerable to emotional distress (Ashby and Gnilka). Although Chinese parents are aware that by making their children go to after-school agencies, they are putting too much stress on their children they also know that their children’s classmates, or competitors they should say, are doing the same and if they don’t do that, their children will fall behind the rest of the class. In such a hard and competitive education system and such a social environment which expects much from them, it shouldn’t be surprising to see a big number of Chinese students struggling with it. Imagine a perfectionist Chinese student who is trying to be successful and meet the expectations of others, what would he/she do when he fails to do it? It is a fact that Chinese students have achievement obsession which is very normal in the environment they study, and along with that and their social background, their perfectionism will lead them to more stress, depression, and worry to death.

Maladaptive perfectionism causes students to have low self-esteem.” Maladaptive perfectionists are described as displaying evaluative concerns such as worrying about making mistakes, having self-doubt, internalizing others’ high expectations for oneself, and experiencing guilt and shame.” They also have high-performance expectations with extreme self-blame when failing to meet the standard.” (Burnam and Nadler)

Perfectionism is a serious psychological problem that could even lead to suicide. China’s intense, exam-driven education system affects perfectionist people even in a harder way since they tend to have stress and depression more common.” Suicide is the leading cause of death among 15–34-year-olds in China, accounting for 19% of the deaths in this age group” (Zhang and Jung). Researches clearly indicate that perfectionism is related to suicidal behavior.

“Perfectionism, in particular, has been identified as a risk and maintaining factor for a variety of psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and suicidal behavior” (Chen and Flett).

Although many pieces of research indicate that perfectionism, in general, affects students in a bad way, there are some studies that claim the opposite. To support their claim they mention that Over 50% of college students procrastinate and delay or fail to complete their academic tasks (Burnam and Nadler). They describe adaptive perfectionists as striving towards achievement and experiencing pride in accomplishments. or having very high-performance expectations with low levels of negative self-evaluation (Burnam and Nadler). These studies state that adaptive perfectionists help students have the self-determined motivation and claim that they are less likely to procrastinate and tend to have higher GPAs. However, is it true or should we take a look at the other side of the coin?

The relationship between how an individual interacts with others and society in their adolescence and violent crime offending has been a topic of study by researchers for decades. A risky lifestyle in adolescents is not always of their choosing, as external factors which they are born into can greatly affect the potential for growth and mobility in society. This may include absent parental figures or guardians, neglect or abuse, substance issues, and other concerns. Areas that are addressed to understand the relationship between a risky lifestyle and violent crime in youths are gender influences, parental involvement, and peer interactions. Violent crime is, as a category, comprised of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. It is important to understand the factors of an individual’s life to determine how at risk they are for offending and also for victimization.

Crime is committed for several reasons and can be different for each situation and each offender. Adolescents are in a phase of life that is very much influenced by others as they search for their identity. While continuing to learn about societal norms and rules, adolescents are somewhat capable of reasoning as an adult, able to make decisions logically and recognize consequences. However, it is seen that youth offenders often have a very egocentric and sensation-seeking motive for committing a crime (Currie & Covell, 1998). According to Currie and Covell (1998), sensation-seeking behaviors exhibit a need for new and exciting or complex situations, like an adrenaline rush, which gives adolescents a willingness to take risks in order to experience a new sensation. This is more relevant with violent crimes than a property crime that is of lower risk of being caught or charged. Currie and Covell (1998) evaluate cognitive egocentrism in adolescence in two manners, personal fables, and imaginary audiences. A personal fable is when the adolescent has an inclination to underestimate their personal vulnerability. This could appear as an adolescent feeling unstoppable or that they will never be the one to get caught committing an act of deviant nature. While it is good for children to develop self-confidence, this sense of “I’ll never get caught” does not serve well when dealing with violent crime. Concerning awareness, the imaginary audience concept is described as when adolescents overestimate the extent to which others are attending to or are aware of him/herself (Currie & Covell, 1998). By doing this, an adolescent may feel a need to impress their peers, gaining a false sense of confidence which may dare them to commit a crime or act in a deviant or more violent way. Together, the two phenomena form cognitive egocentrism which predisposes the individual to a faulty decision-making process and criminal behaviors that push the limits and turn to violent crime (Currie & Covell, 1998).

Adolescents need to be well-socialized to understand the consequences that accompany behaviors, which is most often done by parents or guardians. These authority figures and the environment in which a child is raised have a great impact on the future behavior of the child and in this case criminality. If parents place restrictions on their children, it limits the egocentrism and sensation-seeking tendencies that they may develop when left to care for themselves (Currie & Covell, 1998). Evidence shows that the family history of a young offender, especially a young and violent offender, often exhibits inadequacy and prior criminal history, leaving them to fight their way out of a cycle (Currie & Covell, 1998). If this family history shows signs of abuse or neglect of the child, the likelihood of committing a later crime increases. Maltreatment in itself is a significant predictor of youth criminality, though physical neglect has the most significant effect on both each type of delinquency and total delinquency (Evans & Burton, 2013). The study by Evans and Burton (2013) shows that physical abuse is not a strong predictor of future violent crime while taking into account physical neglect, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. Interestingly that abuse did not lead to more violent behavior than any of the other categories. Evans and Burton (2013) refer to the betrayal trauma theory to explain that a victim may be conflicted if dependent on their caretaker who doubles as the abuser. This connects the low violence rate of crime of individuals victim to physical abuse. In fact, only physical neglect proved to be a significant predictor of the frequency of violent crime, and in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Children, Youth and Families 2010 report, neglect was shown as the most prevalent form of maltreatment (Evans & Burton, 2013). The more often maltreatment experienced by a child correlates to more frequent delinquent offenses seen in the behavior of the child. An explanation for this increase in violent crime among youth is the Relative Deprivation Theory. This theory suggests that when denied basic needs, people tend to devise their means of living, often turning to crime (Ordu & Nnam, 2017). This speaks to both nonviolent and violent crimes. For example, theft of food is rather nonviolent, yet robbery is violent and could also be for food or necessities, depending on the situation it could be taken either way.

A neglectful parental influence can also have effects on the social and academic lives of adolescents. Limitations to success may be set due to the lack of support in these areas of the adolescent’s life. The research by Ordu and Nnam (2017) shows a positive relationship between maladjustment and youth criminality. Maladjustment is defined in this scenario as the inability to cope with difficulties at school, ranging from bullying to discrimination or even stereotyping. This can impair the decision-making capabilities of youth and increase the tendency for involvement in violent crime behaviors. Crime can also be taught within schools, as when this authoritative influence is absent, youth will turn to peers to justify their actions or the community for leaders, often the negative influences that increase exposure to the offenders and violence (Engström, 2018).

Peer deviance plays a major role in the behavior of an individual, especially in the adolescent time frame. As discussed, adolescents are trying to discover their true selves at this time and this process is impacted greatly by those they interact with, most specifically their peers. Deviance among one’s friends was the main lifestyle variable to increase the level of offending among violent offenders (Engström, 2018). In a questionnaire that encompassed both sexes, Engeström (2018) used an age cohort of sixteen-year-olds to study deviance in relation to peers and activity with their peer group. Looking at risky behavior, it was identified that a higher time in the center of the city drastically increased the probability of youth being an offender. In this scenario, it was also found that peer deviance was related to being an offender, not in connection to being a victim or a victim-offender, and overlapping the categories (Engström, 2018). Youth may exert a direct influence on their peers through pressure and utilize personal fables to heighten the stakes and facilitate group offenses by making others feel a need to commit violent crimes alongside their peers (Currie & Covell, 1998).