Emotional Insecurity and Its Many Dangers

Emotional insecurity is a feeling of general unease. This is felt by many people, and generally is the most harmful during the school years of a child. It can lean to either side of a dangerous spectrum. At one side you have the child gaining feelings of inferiority and inadequacy which can lead to depression later in life, and other major psychological issues. On the other side of the spectrum you have the children who bully the other children in acts to compensate for their own feelings of unease. Both of these are extremely dangerous for the health of a child, and should be helped at any chance.

If you see your child displaying the signs of emotional insecurity, you shouldn’t immediately jump up and take him to a therapist. First try to build his confidence on your own. Give compliments for a job well done, and praise wherever it is deserved. A good upbringing can give a child the personality he needs to deal with people. However, this may not always be enough. If your child is teased constantly at school, a few compliments at home will not be enough to save him from possible depression.

It may be embarrassing for the child, but you should see if you can eliminate the problem if it exists at school. Is there one kid who is bullying your child around more than any other? Talk with the teacher, the principal, or the parents of the other child. Don’t make a big deal of it, but make sure that teachers and parents are able to understand that the bullying is having a very negative and hurtful effect on your child’s personality. Try to get the bullying to stop, and maybe your child can start to feel like he has progressed.

Your last ditch effort should be therapy. While therapy has a huge amount of possible positive effects, it may make your child feel even more insecure, as though something is “wrong” with him. Therefore you should try everything you can on your own before resorting to it. But you should never sit and wait for the problem to resolve itself. It is a horrible thing for a child to grow up afraid of the world, and it is your responsibility to prevent that from happening.