Hyperkinesis
In the recent past, deviant behavior and handling of disorder in children has been a matter of great debate in the society and medical field at large. This is due to increased medication on children with behavioral “disorder”- hyperkinesis. Strong drugs like Adderall and Ritallin have been used on children as little as 2 years to treat their condition. Application of this drugs has been characterized with diverse effects on future health and conduct. This has been described as a humanitarian reform due to the effect it has on the child’s behavior- that a child would be remodeled to fit the prescribed limits (Conrad, 2017, p. 7-19).
The analysis of Peter Conrad on hyperkinesis highlights lessons on creation of deviant categories in treating a child’s disorder as expressed. Essentially, in creation of deviant categories, an actor(the child herein) may decline application of social behavior, resulting to the child being a deviant character. Conversely, a child upon treatment may attract social values and therefore using the creation to realize him/her self. Application of such under the social strain theory means minors with such condition are treated as experimental instruments and designed to fit the demands of scientists (“medicated child,” n.d.).
Creation of deviant categories subjects minors to irreparable damage on their future emotionally and psychologically. According to Peter Conrad, children fail to express themselves and relate to other peers in their community. Feeling disabled causes psychological disturbance especially on children who expect to live a normal life as their peers. Modelling of character has been attributed to promoting violence on the future conduct of a person further, by application of the above-mentioned drugs which are termed as ‘very strong makes’ children feel like machines. Summarily, I believe the discussion herein is against application of such modelling aspects without limits as expressed by Peter Conrad.
References
Conrad, P. (2017). The discovery of Hyperkinesis. Identifying Hyperactive Children, 9-17. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315252797-2
The medicated child. (n.d.). FRONTLINE. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/medicatedchild/
