© 2018 ijrar december 2018, volume 5, issue 4 influence of...

© 2018 IJRAR December 2018, Volume 5, Issue 4 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138)

IJRAR1BIP118 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 682

Influence of Armed Violence on Adjustment and

Achievement motivation of Adolescent Students

Aijaz Ahmad Bhat Ph.D Research Scholar Psychology, School of Humanities

Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab

Dr. Hariom Sharma

Associate Professor Psychology, School of Humanities

Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab

Abstract

There have been disagreements among individuals or societies for all times. Sometimes these differences are at the

level that they generate the conflict. People resolve the conflicts by following systematic and scientific inputs by

the efforts of all concerned. However, there are also occasions when conflict could not be resolved and it turns

into violet affecting every concern and non-concern in the region. One such region is J&K where conflict and

resulting violence is present for a long time. Present study is an attempt to understand the influence of such

violence on the adjustment and achievement motivation of adolescent students in the region. Findings revealed a

major number of participants with poor adjustment and low achievement on the scales. Possible strategies to

minimize the loss in students’ performance and reduce the violent conflict have been discussed.

Keywords: Violent conflict, Achievement motivation, Adjustment,

Introduction

India is a country of non-violence in principle and spirit. Prior to independence in 1947 long freedom-fight was

based on non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi ji. However, presently many violent happenings in different corners of

the country are reported by media and there are regular efforts to resolve the issues of countrymen. One of the

regions affected by violent conflict is J&K where a significant tenure of conflict has changed the lives and

thoughts of people. These violent conflict events in the region of Kashmir are reported for more than three

decades.It is observed that this conflict have traumatized nearly everyone especially young population in this

context. The prolonged exposure to violent conflict makes young generation highly vulnerable to developmental

trajectories. The patterns of adjustment and achievement motivation in school going adolescents living in conflict

zones are scientifically unexplored. An attempt was made to explore the relationship of exposure to violent

conflict and usage of multiple social networking sites with patterns of adjustment and achievement motivation in

school going adolescents in Kashmir.

This write-up is concerned with the impact of violent conflict on adjustment and achievement motivation of

students in Kashmir valley. The concern originates from three broadly held suppositions: (1) there is a high level

of exposure to violent conflict in school going adolescents, (2) exposure to violence has impact on level of

adjustment and (3) the situation of violent conflict in Kashmir has impact on achievement motivation of Higher

Secondary School students in the age range of 15-17 years.

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The set of assumptions, i.e., students having high level of exposure to violent conflict produces psychological

disturbance and the psychological distressimpairs adjustment and achievement motivation infers a causal

chain process with psychological stress mediating the relation between independent and dependent

variables. The examination leaves open the issue of whether there is an immediate connection between

presenceof armed violence and adjustment/accomplishment inspiration or just the roundabout relationship

interceded by mental pain. The research questions investigated in this study was impact of exposure to violent

conflict on adjustment and achievement motivation of higher secondary students in Kashmir.

Prior to the outbreak of violent conflict in Kashmir, the prevalence of people with mental health problems was

insignificant (Yaswi & Haque, 2008). The ongoing violent conflict cycles had traumatised general population in

Kashmir and consequently, distress and suffering becoming an underlying theme in the lives of non-military

personal populace (de Jong, Nathan, et al., 2008a; Yaswi & Haque, 2008). On the routine basis, residents of

Kashmir were exposed to raised degree of violent conflict which in turn has resulted in greater psychosocial

morbidity among inhabitants (de Jong, de Kam, et al., 2008b; Margoob, Firdosi, Banal, Khan, Malik, Ahmad, &

Shah, 2006). The clashes between militants & authorities often occur at public places, the overall public is truly

trapped in the crossfire among militants and security persons and are compelled to observe the violence first hand.

Individuals having presentation to vicious clashes on regular schedule for the most part experience the ill effects of

mental issue like PTSD (Sack, Him, & Dickason, 1999; Seino, Takano, Mashal, Hemat, & Nakamura, 2008).

People diagnosed with PTSD in Kashmir, the worst affect population is younger age group in comparison to older

adults (Wani, & Margoob, 2006). Violent conflicting situation poses many multiple psychological, social,

financial and environmental challenges to integrity of an individual and to public life (Pedersen, 2006).

In a network study led by de Jong et al. (2008a) significant level of continuous brutality over the locale with

regular folks being trapped in the crossfire was observed. Crossfire (86%) and round-up raids (83%) were seen by

majority of the participants. Maltreatment (44%), forced labour (33%), kidnapping (17%), torture (13%) and

sexual violence (12%) proportions were reflected in the results. Similarly, in another study inhabitants of north

Kashmir reported witnessing beating of family member or friend (37%), living under enforced prolonged curfew

(78%) and 27% reported being threatened with death as violent conflict-related events (Bhat, & Rangaiah,

2015).The psychosocial results of a violent clash circumstances interfere with the mental improvement of the

individual and the system (Baker & Shalhoub-Kevorkkian, 1999; Pedersen, 2006; Punamäki, Kanninen, Qouta, &

Sarraj, 2002). Posttraumatic growth and related symptoms as predictive factors in conflict were noted in many

researches (Bhat, & Rangaiah, 2015; Dahl, Mutapcic and Schei, 1998; Seino et al., 2008). Intensity of

stressors was recorded as predictive for level of posttraumatic symptoms. In Jammu and Kashmir recently due to

protests and e-curfew businessman and students have suffered most.

J&K Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) noted that around 160 civilians were killed in the year 2018. Since 2008,

highest number of conflict-related casualties including 586 people death comprising 267 members of armed

groups and 159 security forces personnel were recorded. Union Ministry for Home Affairs claimed that 238

terrorists, 86 security forces personnel and only 37 civilians were killed in 2018.

Lack of an adequate andinclusive juvenile justice mechanism ensuresthat the children who participate in

civilprotests and stone pelting get radicalized inside the police lockups, where torture andmisconduct are rampant.




Figure 1: Terrorist Incidents and deaths from separatist conflict in J&K after 2013 (Source:Ministry of Home

Affairs South Asia Terrorism Portal, New Delhi)

The justice system, thus, further alienates these children fromsociety and the state. The state must show fargreater

sensitivity in dealing with children participating in political violence, and it mustmake efforts to protect, care for

and rehabilitate them.

Mediation modelling has shown that amongst residents of the Kashmir Valley, financial stress, poor physical

health of self and family stress were found to be the top three mediators of the relationship between

multiple traumatogenic events and probable anxiety, depression and PTSD. However, the percentages remain

small, less than 14%. Findings highlight that not only do it is needed to move beyond a trauma-focused approach to

address psychological distress in population affected by protracted conflict but also move is required beyond

focusing on daily stressors as explanatory mediators.




This study aimed at exploring the relationship of exposure to violent conflict and usage of multiple social

networking sites with patterns of adjustment and achievement motivation in school going adolescents in Kashmir.

This study utilized cross-sectional design and a sample of 503 school going adolescents in the age range 15 to 17

years were purposively selected. The data was collected by four self-reporting measures consisting of

demographic data schedule, exposure to Kashmir conflict checklist (EKCC), adjustment inventory for school

students and achievement motivation scale. Participants most commonly reported violent conflict related events as

living under enforced curfew (90.7%), witnessing family member or friend being beaten or humiliated (42.5%)

and verbal abuse (35%). Despite being brought up under circumstances of violent conflict, only 13.52%

participants showed extremely unsatisfactory adjustment and only 4.57% participants showed lowest achievement

motivation. Furthermore, higher level of exposure to violent conflict was found to be significantly related to

unsatisfactory adjustment and low achievement motivation.

Adjustment refers to the behavioural process of maintaining a balancing of positive feelings, conflicting needs, or

needs toward one's life and self in the process of contending with stress challenged by obstacles in the

environment (White, 1974). Achievement motivation is well established universal construct and commonly

researched dimension of psychological functioning (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, & Lowell, 1953). It is desire to

attain social status and recognition through accomplishing the challenging goals, competition, tasks and

independent effort and which has been usually associated with academic and vocation success across many

cultures (Matsumoto, 2009). However, the impact of violent conflict on adjustment and achievement motivation in

high risk population i.e., school going children or adolescents had not been explored. The present study attempts to

explore the association between adjustment, achievement motivation and exposure to violent conflict.

Furthermore, the association of these variables have also been investigated with social media, socio-economic

status and academic performance.

Distribution of participants according to different levels of adjustment and achievement motivation and the

percentages of those obtained scores are shown in following Table. In the sample undertaken, 48.11% participants

showed average adjustment; 13.52% participants showed extremely unsatisfactory adjustment and only 5.37%

were found highly adjusted. Similarly, on achievement motivation 37.57% participants showed average

motivation; 0.40% participants were highly motivated and only 4.57% showed lowest motivation.




Table-1: Distribution of levels of adjustment and achievement motivation in

students

Variable Levels Frequency Percentage

Overall

Adjustment

Extremely unsatisfactory adjustment 68 13.52

Unsatisfactory adjustment 2 0.40

Below average adjustment 80 15.90

Average/moderate adjustment 242 48.11

Above average adjustment 84 16.70

High adjustment 27 5.37

Achievement

Motivation

Highly motivated 2 0.40

High motivation 25 4.97

Above average motivation 123 24.45

Average motivation 189 37.57

Below average motivation 27 5.37

Low motivation 114 22.66

Lowest motivated 23 4.57

13.52

0.4

15.9

48.11

16.7

5.37

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Extremely

unsatisfactory

adjustment

Unsatisfactory

adjustment

Below average

adjustment

Average/moderate

adjustment

Above average

adjustment

High adjustment

Percentage of Students falling in different categories of

Adjustment




The figures above are demonstrating the percentages of dimensions of adjustment and achievement motivation on

the basis of obtained scores by the participant students in the study which also suggests the impact of violence on

the adjustment and achievement motivation of students exposed to armed violence. It is assumed that the findings

of present study will contribute to understand and provide insight about the consequencesof and opportunities to

work on the negative impact of violent conflict on developmental trajectories of school going adolescents in

Kashmir. Trauma and deviant patterns in behaviour are inherited in societies living with prolonged conflict and the

higher level of exposure to violent conflict is found to be strongly related to unsatisfactory adjustment and low

achievement motivation.

From the above findings, this is understood that lot of work and initiatives need to be put in place to improve the

adjustment levels and achievement motivation of our youth in order to increase their quality of life for positive

contribution and productivity towards community and society at large. It’s understood that policy makers of the

country need to take such studies into consideration and keep these factors in mind while devising the policies for

youth in conflict ridden societies. Also there is need to have strong consultations with Education Department,

Social Welfare and Non-Governmental organisations to work for psychological health of this population & take

them on-board for the peaceful and productive future of our society.

Lastly, it is concluded that relevant institutions need to keep in mind that our society has been living with the

principles of non-violent culture, brotherhood and respect for each other across religions, beliefs, values, casts,

colour and languages. New trends of violence could be curtailed by strengthening of such principles and also by

giving the space for psychological interventions in the system for remedies.

Acknowledgement

Authors hereby acknowledge all individuals, researchers and sources, who have been helpful in finalizing this

manuscript in a better manner. No grant was availed to complete this study.

0.4

4.97

24.45

37.57

5.37

22.66

4.57

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Highly

motivated

High

motivation

Above

average

motivation

Average

motivation

Below

average

motivation

Low

motivation

Lowest

motivated

Percentage of Students falling in different categories of

Achievment motivation




Author Profile:

Aijaz Ahmad Bhat is PhD scholar in psychology department, Lovely Professional University. He participâtes in

symposium and seminar regularly. He has long experience with Red Cross Society working in the region of J&K

which gave him opportunity to understand the happenings closely. His interest areas include achievement,

adjustment, stress and academic achievment. He has presented his works in many national conferences.

Dr. Hariom Sharma is Associate Professor in Psychology at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara. He is

doctorate from Banaras Hindu University and has post doctorate experience at IIT Kharagpur. He has earned more

than 15 years of academic and research experience in reputed institutions. He has 27 research publications to his

credit in national and international journals other than participation in reputed conferences. He is also a life

member of Indian Science Congress Association.

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