Madrassa Arif-ul-Hussaini Principal Maulana Allama Syed Muhammad Jawad Hadi in a statement issued to the press, emphasised the role of parents and teachers in assisting the youth during puberty phase. Maulana Hadi said, “Human beings undergo both physical and psychological changes when they reach puberty.”
Children experience many new emotions and physiological changes while undergoing puberty. These changes were caused by hormonal fluctuations and were a normal part of the process of growing up. However, children were not provided with the proper knowledge and education regarding these changes, due to which they often turned towards unreliable sources to seek the desired information. This in turn made them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Girls reached puberty between the ages of 10 and 14 while boys experienced the same changes between the ages of 12 and 15. This sensitive period is associated with significant physical changes, such as height and weight increases, in addition to other changes. Boys and girls also experienced emotional changes during that time. Mood swings, energy changes and frustration were the most common indications of the onset of puberty. Adjusting to this unsettling period could be difficult for both adolescents and their parents because all these changes were temporary and required a lot of patience and support from the elders.
Maulana Hadi stressed that teachers must provide timely guidance to children as advocated by Islam, saying, “Islam places greatest emphasis on education. It holds that children are more likely to be exploited and misled unless they are given the right knowledge and awareness about the changes associated with puberty.”
He further said that knowledge, guidance and support during puberty could make the journey easier for children, while adding that parents and teachers have to play a vital role in this regard by equipping children with the correct information about puberty and how to deal with the sudden changes.
Without proper parental guidance, children could be led astray and exploited by their peers and other untrustworthy persons, Maulana Hadi observed. They could adopt bad habits and even be exposed to life threatening diseases (such as HIV/AIDS) and dangerous situations, he added. According to a research published by the Cancer Research (UK), around 207,000 children aged between 11 to15 started smoking every year in the UK. Pakistan fared no better in this connection. A study published in the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association estimated that approximately 1,200 children started smoking every day in the country. Meanwhile, thousands of children were molested every year, and many more got hooked on to drugs during adolescence. Much of this could be avoided if parents and teachers realised their duty to provide right guidance and knowledge to growing up children.
“Teachers or parents must prevent harm from coming near the children by educating and guiding them according to Islamic teachings [that address puberty],” Maulana Hadi concluded.
It is important to mention here that right guidance during puberty nurtures wholesome, well-rounded, healthy and happy young adults.
