Homeless package ‘Naughty’ label masks underlying trauma wreaked upon children, says psychologist

Olwethu Mncono, a clinical psychologist in East London, says there is a causal link between “bad” behaviour of a child and traumatic incidents.

She said that people were too quick to say youths were “naughty” when there are deeper social causes for their antisocial behaviour.

In the case of Sihle Ndaweni (not his real name), she believes he should have gone through intensive therapy after witnessing his father slaying his mother.

“When children go through either traumatic experiences, those issues manifest in their behaviour,” she said.

“We are taught how to deal with our emotions at a young age. I don’t mean at school but you have model and mirror what your mother and father have taught you.”

This included learning that people cried when they were sad and laughed when they were happy. 

“The child experienced an unfortunate experience in that he lost both parents at once.

“It is a loss when your parent is incarcerated and you obviously need to grieve.

“You love the parent who killed your mother but, in the same breath, you are upset with the parent if you are at an age to realise what it means.”

Mncono said sometimes traumatised children started doing badly at school but teachers needed to spot this and talk to an education psychologist.

“Schools should not be so quick to kick out such students,” she said. 

She said if social workers were unable to deal with the child, they should bring in a clinical psychologist.

“Unfortunately, [parents and teachers] tend to define such behaviour as naughtiness,” she said.

DispatchLIVE