Tufton: Stop punishing, start understanding struggling children

WESTERN BUREAU:

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says today’s children are growing up in a far more challenging environment than previous generations as smartphones, social media and constant exposure to information are creating new pressures that can contribute to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

He said this requires parents, schools, communities and the health system to rethink how they identify and respond to children who may be struggling.

“It is not easy in today’s world to be a child,” the minister said while speaking at the opening of a Child and Adolescent Health Centre in Junction, St Elizabeth, last Thursday.

He contrasted today’s realities with his own childhood, when entertainment and communication were more limited and children had fewer distractions.

“Now, fast-forward to today. Put yourself in today’s world. You see this thing called the smartphone, this is the greatest invention to man and the greatest destructor of man,” he told attendees.

Tufton said the level of exposure children now have to social media and other digital content can create confusion and emotional distress, particularly when young people struggle to distinguish between reality and what they see online.

He said the situation is compounded by the growing use of artificial intelligence, which has taken the amount of information and content available to children to another level.

“Just picture it: a child living, growing up in this environment with that level of exposure and distraction, and understand clearly why it will lead to confusion, concern, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts,” he said.

He said children who are struggling must not automatically be treated as badly behaved or in need of punishment.

“We have some traditional cultural issues that are dysfunctional, where you beat your child every time you think them bad,” he said, arguing that behavioural changes could be a sign that a child needs guidance and support.

He said the Child and Adolescent Health Centre must, therefore, extend its work beyond treating children who are brought through its doors, while calling for health professionals to work with schools, churches and community organisations to help parents, teachers, and other adults recognise signs of distress among children.

“One of the first things we need to be able to do is to recognise when a child has a problem,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is already training principals, teachers and guidance counsellors to recognise antisocial behaviour and identify young people who may require psychosocial support.

Early intervention

Tufton said early intervention could help reduce school fights, abuse and other antisocial behaviour, while giving young people the support needed to make healthier choices.

He also defended the Government’s consideration of restrictions on social-media access for children under 15, saying there was a need to reduce children’s exposure to content that could harm them.

“The point is, in the past, we never spoke about menopause and andropause,” he said, in discussing the Government’s broader life-stage approach to healthcare.

Tufton said the new child and adolescent facility provides an opportunity to strengthen that support at the community level.

“If you don’t know the difference between the two, you are cultivating a worse child into an adult than trying to resolve the problem,” he warned.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com