Pets And Adolescent Development
We can learn many things from animals, and growing up with pets provides valuable lessons that remain in our adult lives. Kindness, compassion, empathy and responsibility are some of the values that come from interacting with animals. For this reason, it is not surprising that there are pet-assisted therapies and educational programs for developing children and adolescents.
Growing up with a pet
It has always been thought that animals are good company for people who live alone, but this is no longer the only current of thought. Pets are very beneficial for families with children, both for children and adolescents.
It is increasingly common to find a dog in family homes, and the relationship that a child forges with his pet is very special and can mark his behavior. These are some of the advantages that pets provide:
- They teach responsibility. The person responsible for a pet is the adult, but that the child or adolescent is a participant in their care is also important. It is this that will teach you to care for, educate and be aware of another living being in your care.
- They contribute to emotional development. The bond formed with a pet improves social skills and self-esteem, two fundamental aspects in adolescence.
- They are companions. Many children feel comfortable talking to their pets, telling them about their doubts and problems. Animals “act like confidants” without knowing it and provide comfort.
- They teach life lessons. Loyalty, companionship, respect for the space of others, grief … are some of the lessons that we learn unconsciously from pets.
Animal-assisted therapies in behavioral problems
Adolescence can be a very difficult time for some people. At this stage an individual is more vulnerable to develop disruptive and aggressive behaviors.
The lack of empathy is an indicator associated with this type of behavior in children and adolescents, precisely a value that is developed when living with a companion animal. For this reason, animal-assisted therapies have been created to treat behavior problems in children and adolescents at risk for aggressive behaviors.
Canine therapy as prevention of violent behaviors in adolescence
Canine therapies are based on the premise that these children and adolescents tend to establish trust more quickly and easily with animals, so dogs are a kind of bridge to relationships with people.
The canine therapy program as prevention of violent behavior has three objectives:
- Improve knowledge about animal care and responsibility.
- Increase sensitivity towards other living beings, by bonding with working animals.
- Developing new skills: learning to train shelter dogs, working with other people, and gaining skills to handle conflict.
Effects of pet-assisted therapy
After some time applying this type of therapy, changes in the adolescent’s behavior can be observed:
- Children with dog phobias overcome their fear.
- They learn to meet all the needs of a dog. In this way they assimilate the consequences of adopting or buying a pet, they understand that it should not be the product of a whim.
- They discover alternatives to violence. They opt for new ways of channeling their emotions.
- Increase self-esteem. This fact has also been verified in other age biases, not only in adolescents and children.
The effects of pet-assisted therapy are proven in many different types of behavioral disturbances, and the results have been found to be very beneficial for patients, improve their quality of life, and can prevent serious problems in the developing.
