Introduction
Friendship plays a vital role in our daily lives. There are various things people face in the family, but friends give advice on how to solve some of these issues, according to Dienlin et al. (2017). On the other hand, loneliness makes an individual find himself or herself in a confusing situation. The effect of loneliness has a severe impact during adolescence. It makes one arrogant, careless and unworthy. Loneliness is aggravated by many factors. These factors range from family to personal life. If the parents of any child undergoing loneliness do not handle the situation at an early stage, it may lead to some serious problems, according to Klomek et al. (2016). Nowadays, it is evident that parents rarely have time with their children, and this situation also leads to loneliness. This assignment is going to focus on the condition of Aarif. Aarif is a 14-year-old boy and the eldest in a family of five. He has developed some signs of loneliness after his friend left school. On the other hand, it is evident that his father is busy most of the time and does not discuss the matter with him. The following assignment illustrates the situation and how to deal with the matter. Besides that, the assignment is going to elaborate on how counselors should handle victims with such problems.
Lesson learned from diverse people and the situation Aarif is experiencing.
From the narration provided in the case study, it is very clear that Aarif is feeling depressed because of social disconnection. His father is always busy earning a living, and it is very rare for him to find time for the family. Human beings usually develop feelings, and they should share these feelings with others, according to Lodder et al. (2017). However, it is only possible to share feelings with someone you are close to and with whom there is friendship. In the case of Aarif, you can see that the disconnection from his friend has had a deep effect on him. He is finding it difficult to mingle with other people in the learning environment. Consequently, Aarif is not only facing a breakup problem in the friendship cycle but also in family life.
The family plays a vital role in giving members direction; however, in Aarif’s case, there is little connection to the family. Despite being close to his mother, Aarif still undergoes some social depression. Luhmann & Hawkley (2016) say that the possible reason is that he is not open with his mother and is not ready to open up. Aarif is not getting what he expects; this is causing many disappointments. The problem has occurred; the main issue now is how to accommodate such people. There are different types of people in life. Some show their disappointment openly, while others silently feel the problem and maintain silence. One should be open-minded about how to deal with the different types. For instance, Aarif was rude when asked by his teacher what the problem was. The response shows rudeness as an impact of loneliness. On the other hand, the teacher should not respond with a loud voice as it may anger the victim even more, according to Pittman & Reich (2016).
The conversation between Aarif and the teacher, in a way, does not include a stereotype.
Teacher: Aarif, is everything okay?
Aarif: Mind your own business.
What would you do differently if you were the school counselor, and why?
Handling adolescent boys facing distress because of loneliness may be quite challenging. However, there are several steps that the school counselor might have used to advise Aarif on his condition. The first step the school counselor has not applied is creating awareness of loneliness and the possible causes of loneliness, citing the work of Teppers et al. (2014). The fact that the counselor had talked with the teacher and established that there were problems at home shows that he was aware that Aarif was undergoing some friendship and social disconnections. The reason why creating awareness for Aarif might have been important is that it would have made Aarif open up about the situation he is undergoing.
After elaborating on the possible issues at home and in general social life, the school counselor might have found it easier to advise him on the situation. Apart from creating awareness, it is evident that the school counselor seems to be ruder at the beginning of the conversation, which is not good. When someone is lonely, he or she is already bored and prepared to quarrel. Therefore, it would have been important for the counselor to calm down and talk softly with a smile. The last important thing the counselor is not doing well is that he is generalizing the situation. For instance, he is saying that boys are the same. This statement does not provide a solution to the problem but widens the problem. Aarif is going to class without a solution to the problem. On the other hand, the counselor may have requested the contact information of Aarif’s parents and further discussed the issue, according to Van Roekel et al. (2014).
Advice To The Family Of Aarif
Solving the depression problem in Aarif’s case requires the involvement of all the concerned people. Aarif’s parents need to talk to the children constantly. Despite being busy earning a living for the family, the father should have time with his children. On the other hand, Aarif’s mother is not sensitive even though she is the one who is spending the better part of the day with her son. In addition to that, if the family sees that the condition persists, they should consult a psychologist for advice for Aarif on the situation, according to Vanhalst (2015). Aarif should be aware that being rude and non-cooperative is not the way to solve the problem. He should be willing to speak out about the problem. Friends come and go, and Aarif can still make good new friends among his classmates.
Conclusion
It is important to create awareness of depression and its management. Sometimes, there are family issues. People should not personalize their problems but speak up. On the other hand, the counselors should have an open mind while dealing with the victim. The signs and symptoms of the situation are usually evident to the public, and they should not be allowed to progress to a later stage in an individual. The above assignment has demonstrated ways of solving the situation through comprehensive steps.
References
Dienlin, T., Masur, P. K., & Trepte, S. (2017). Reinforcement or displacement? The reciprocity of FtF, IM, and SNS communication and their effects on loneliness and life satisfaction. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 22(2), 71-87.
Klomek, A. B., Snir, A., Apter, A., Carli, V., Wasserman, C., Hadlaczky, G., … & Brunner, R. (2016). Association between victimization by bullying and direct self injurious behavior among adolescence in Europe: a ten-country study. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 25(11), 1183-1193.
Lodder, G. M., Scholte, R. H., Goossens, L., & Verhagen, M. (2017). Loneliness in early adolescence: Friendship quantity, friendship quality, and dyadic processes. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 46(5), 709-720.
Luhmann, M., & Hawkley, L. C. (2016). Age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age. Developmental psychology, 52(6), 943.
Pittman, M., & Reich, B. (2016). Social media and loneliness: Why an Instagram picture may be worth more than a thousand Twitter words. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 155-167.
Teppers, E., Luyckx, K., Klimstra, T. A., & Goossens, L. (2014). Loneliness and Facebook motives in adolescence: A longitudinal inquiry into directionality of effect. Journal of Adolescence, 37(5), 691-699.
Van Roekel, E., Scholte, R. H., Engels, R. C., Goossens, L., & Verhagen, M. (2015). Loneliness in the daily lives of adolescents: An experience sampling study examining the effects of social contexts. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 35(7), 905-930.
Vanhalst, J., Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Van Petegem, S., Weeks, M. S., & Asher, S. R. (2015). Why do the lonely stay lonely? Chronically lonely adolescents’ attributions and emotions in situations of social inclusion and exclusion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(5), 932.
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