Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF JOHN 1

Psychological Evaluation of John

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PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF JOHN 2

Psychological Evaluation of John

Introduction

The papers aim is to discuss the case of John, a young boy who is facing various

childhood problems and aid in reaching a solution by setting different methods and solution to

his problem. Most children are confronted by various problems during various stages of their

growth. Among these problems include low self-esteem and development of questionable

behaviors that could lead to negative impact on their lives. Children in the age between 6- 14

years are in the middle childhood or early adolescence stage and whereby this is the most vital

stage in human life. A child establishes sense and gets to choose on various issues such as

character and behavior during this stage (Baumeister, 2013). Apart from this the most vital

aspects of adulthood sip in and whereby they are not limited to being independent, making

personal decisions, competency, self-awareness and getting well acquitted with the universal

issues. Despite this stage being characterized with much curiosity and suspense by the teenagers,

a failure in guidance may lead to low self-esteem and peer pressure which may affect the child's

life at a great deal.

Demographics

John being the second born in a family of two siblings is eleven years old, a Caucasian

male and from a well to do family. Through his childhood, his family has worked hard to ensure

that he gets the best in life. Until he developed a habit after turning eleven of bullying other

children and in some cases, he has been involved in physical fights with his peers. His family

lives in the wealthy suburbs surrounding Jersey City, and therefore negative influence is
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insufficient. As a young toddler, John had been stubborn, and he only enjoyed the company of

his parents or his elder sister.

Reasons for initial consultation

John's parents had been concerned about the change in his behavior and adapting certain

attitude that left them wondering what the cause was. John had dropped in his school grades,

stopped communicating and relating with his peers and teachers. Apart from this John initially

had a problem with his sister which resulted from being aggressive on nearly anything. Above

all, the most disturbing issue about his behavior is the lack of self-esteem as he does not

appreciate his physical appearance and perceives his sister as superior to him.

Presenting problem

Most of the times John is just a normal kid who plays with his toys and even talks with

his parents, but on sudden occasions, he changes and becomes aggressive. In occasions when his

parents show too much attention towards his sister his attitude changes and a slight provocation

leads to a fight. His teachers and friends have also proved evident to this habit as it happens not

only at home but also in school. The teachers thought John was using drugs which were not the

case but his need seems to be based on attention and being recognized. The problem with his

physical appearance is a symbol to low self-esteem. Apart from this he suffers from anger

management and lacks social skills. Even though his parents and teachers in school meet John's

safety needs, he still does seem not to benefit.

Family history

John comes from a nuclear family which is composed of four members. His father is a

former alcoholic and while his mother had been a victim of depression during the times when her
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husband was abusing alcohol. After stopping alcohol, their life changed, and they became fully

devoted to serving God. John's sister is well mannered, and even her teachers acknowledge that

she will be successful in life one day. Their source of income originates from his mother working

as a full-time nurse and his father as a real estate developer. Apart from his father who was an

alcoholic his family has no any other history of drug abuse or illness that is inheritable.

Social history/ peer relationship

John has been an active member of the drama club and at one time when he was in the

junior class won a certificate for being the best actor. His social life had been good until his

middle childhood age when he began being violent and keeping away from his peer's company.

Apart from this, he stopped communicating with his teachers on matters relating to academics or

even personal issues. At home, his parents complained about his absence in helping family

chores or even participating in an evening prayer that was done by all the family members. John

chose to play video games or sit alone under a shade that was erected outside their house.

Current intervention plan

The current intervention strategy is based on developing a counseling program that will

involve both John and his parents to satisfy the security need (Broderick, & Blewitt, 2015). If

the program bears fruits, the next aspect will entail trying to give him some attention which he

needs. This need may help to improve his self-esteem and improve his social skills which he so

much requires as a young adult (Friesen, Kay, Eibach,& Galinsky, 2014). Persistent of the

problem may call for a medical checkup if he fails to recover or show signs of change.

Future goals and recommendation

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Complete recovery from low self-esteem and improving in social skills are the goals

aimed to be attained after counseling. Apart from this helping John's parents and teachers to

understand the needs that John requires will help in a quick recovery and achieve the goals

successfully. What Johns need for attention is another psychological requirement that if not fully

catered for may lead to development of habits such as being aggressive or even extreme violence

and therefore making it another goal that needs to be achieved by the end of the healing session

(Pringsheim, Hirsch, Gardner, & Gorman, 2015)..

Conclusion

The life to adulthood is characterized by many difficulties which require experienced

adult or profession to assist. Most children fail to get the so much required satisfaction of needs

and thus lead to the development of unwanted characters or making wrong choices in life.

Therefore it is the role of parents and educators to help in straightening and giving guidance to

children through various developmental stages.

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References

Baumeister, R. F. (Ed.). (2013). Self-esteem: The puzzle of low self-regard. Springer Science &

Business Media.

Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2015). The Life Span, Human Development for Helping

Professionals, Fourth Addition. Pearson Education

Friesen, J. P., Kay, A. C., Eibach, R. P., & Galinsky, A. D. (2014). Seeking structure in social

organization: Compensatory control and the psychological advantages of hierarchy.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(4), 590.

Kline, P. (2013). Handbook of psychological testing. Routledge.

Pringsheim, T., Hirsch, L., Gardner, D., & Gorman, D. A. (2015). The pharmacological

management of oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and aggression in children and

adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder,

and conduct disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Part 2: antipsychotics and

traditional mood stabilizers. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(2), 52-61.