Parental imago and internalizing and externalizing disorders in adolescents in school milieu: case of Form three and four students

Abstract

Our study is titled ―parental imago, parental function and internalizing and externalizing disorders in adolescents in school milieu: the case of form three and form four students‖. The question of behavioral disorders amongst adolescents within school settings in Cameroon is at its rise. For quite some time now, there is hardly a day without one or more cases of externalizing or internalizing disorders recorded in schools in Cameroon accompanied by the consequences that come with such despite the measures put in place by the authorities. The representations otherwise the imago that the adolescent makes of the parents depends on the function they play. Mismatch between the imaginary parent and the parental figure in reality brings castration, privation and frustration that the child may be unable to cope with. Failure, lack, negligence as well conflicting climate in the family setting are in most occasions the source of discomfort, ill-being and may generate in the adolescent a feeling of frustration, that of symbolic castration and deprivation. The expression of internalizing and externalizing disorders therefore explain the inadequacy of the imaginary and the father in reality. The hypothesis that the inadequacy between the imaginary parent and the real parent generates internalizing disorders and externalizing disorders in adolescents in school milieu through failure of symbolic function of the father, deficit in the symbolic function of the mother, conflicting climate between the real father and the mother. In order to verify this hypothesis, we carried out our research based on case study on three participants with the use of the semi-structured interview. The results obtained showed that it is the failure of symbolic function of the real father, deficit of symbolic function of the mother or conflictual climate in the family that interfere in the emergence of these disorders.