Are youngsters suffering from anger-management issues?

On Monday, an intoxicated 29-year-old was arrested for slapping a police constable twice. This, after the final year medical student was taken to a city police station, when her neighbours complained that she was drunk and behaving unruly. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, a BBA graduate got into an altercation with an auto driver. When the driver verbally abused him and left, the 26-year-old chased the vehicle which eventually fell on the youth, wounding him fatally.

These are just two instances, among many, that bring to light a growing problem. Are today’s youngsters suffering from

anger management

issues? In answer to this, psychotherapist and student counsellor, Prasanna Rabade highlights two aspects of student behaviour that need to be understood first —

frustration

and excitement. “A frustrated student can eventually become rebellious. This attitude can lead to being a part of illegal activities or consciously hurting others. Another aspect is excitement, where the youth want to do things just for a kick,” he says, bringing to light that even activities like road

rage

or rash driving can stem from something as simple as excitement.

As a case in point, consider the six students who died in a crash on the Pune-Mumbai expressway early Tuesday morning. The boys, from different colleges, were returning after a joyride to Lonavla when the one who was driving lost control, toppling the vehicle and killing them on the spot. While it is uncertain whether the boys were inebriated, the police did recover marijuana from the car — a reminder that driving under influence is still not taken seriously by many.

In fact, PR Patil, DCP (Crime), says that cases of drunken driving in the city, have risen from 50-60 per day to an alarming 150-200. This is because the authorities have become more vigilant. But he also points out that not all of them involve youngsters. “We do not have a classification of ages in these statistics. So, we can’t say that there is a rise of youth involved in the above,” he says. In any case, eradicating a social evil must begin with the youth.

Expert opinions
The first step to controlling anger is identifying its causes, and experts like clinical psychologist Salma Prabhu say that there are several. “Lack of communication and exercise, technology, work/study pressure and the food we eat,” she shares, explaining, “Electronic items like phones and computers heat up and send toxic waves to the brain and body. This leads to anxiety and aggressiveness. Lack of sleep and competitiveness can lead to pent-up

aggression

, and that comes out when something goes wrong.”
Psychologist Natasha D’Cruz attributes this kind of aggression to a sense of entitlement. “We fight for things. There is the notion that unless you fight, you don’t get. If you have the word ‘should’ in your thought process too often, you are bound to be irrational,” she says, adding that emotional suppression also results in aggressive outbursts.

When are you crossing the line?
Psychotherapist and life coach Vidyadhar Bapat, who points to genetics, chemical imbalance in the brain and upbringing, societal influence as causes for aggressive behaviour, also adds that, “Alcohol and other intoxicating substances also affect your brain balance, behaviour, emotions and thoughts, causing anger.” But how does one identify when he / she is about to cross a line? “When you are not relaxed or not able to concentrate, you must realise that something is wrong,” he replies.

Student perspective
Besides considering expert opinions, it is vital to understand what students feel about expressing aggression. “Students these days are actively participating and taking sides in campus issues. It has become an easy way of venting out their anger or depression,” says Prathamesh Dhane, general secretary of the Fergusson College Student Council, explaining that the need to prove oneself is what drives them to be extra aggressive.
On how aggression and driving under influence can be addressed, Manashri Pawar, a third year BBM student and friend of one of the six boys who passed away in Tuesday morning’s accident, says, “Colleges need to give lectures about this, and students who have experienced such loss should give testimonials. Also, the authorities need to ensure that illegal substances are not in easy reach of students. Unlike alcohol, police still have no way of identifying if someone is driving

under the influence

of other intoxicating substances.” Manashri also points out that parents have a large role to play in youngsters’ behaviour. “They are given access to cars when they don’t even have a license,” she says.

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