Page 200 - Health, Population and Environment Education 9

solve their problems which furthermore make them in troubles. Hence, the parents and
teachers should closely observe the changes in them. They must provide constructive
suggestions and necessary guidance as well as counsel them in polite manner to solve
their problems.

b. Participation in creative activities
Adolescents become creative and imaginative as
a matter of mental change during adolescence.
They keep on doing various creative activities as
well. Parents must understand the interest of their
children. They must be given some responsible
tasks at home. They should be given opportunities
to get involved into music, dancing, poetry, games,
painting, carpentry, knitting, sewing, gardening, Fig: 16
learning, etc. Actually, involvement in creative
activities divert their mind from thinking and suffering from tensions and problems.
Above all, involvement in creative activities supports in sharpening their talents, makes
them more responsible and mature enough to deal with various problems in their life.
This ultimately nullify the problems of adolescents.

c. Mutual understanding

Adolescents get angry rapidly and they have quick response on many things. They keep
on complaining that their parents, teachers and other seniors do not understand their
feelings, interests, desires and problems. These types of thinking increase distance and
misunderstanding among parents and adolescents. Even, they get involved into various
anti-social activities as well. These mostly add up problems in them. Hence, parents,
teachers and community people must understand their change of behaviours, feelings
and desires. Parents must provide time to their adolescents, treat them politely, love
them, never underestimate and degrade them. By this, adolescents believe their parents
and teachers and share their problems easily. Hence, the mutual understanding among
parents, teachers, community people and adolescents helps in solving the problems of
adolescents easily.

d. Safe sexual behaviour
As a matter of physical and emotional change, adolescents have development of sex
organs and opposite sex attraction. They have strong desire to get involved into sexual
activities. But, due to lack of proper knowledge and maturity, they might adopt unhealthy
and impractical methods to satisfy their sexual desires. Unsafe sexual behaviours cause
early pregnancy, transmission of various STIs, like HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis,
Hepatitis B and C, etc. Hence, they must adopt safe sexual behaviours. They can practice
the following ways for safe sexual behaviour:

i. Masturbation
Masturbation is a way of erecting reproductive organs by using hand for sexual pleasure.
Both boys and girls can practice masturbation for their sexual satisfaction. During
200 GREEN Environment Population and Health Education Book-9