Islamabad: Master Coach and NLP practitioner Sanam Pathan on Tuesday called for greater focus on conflict resolution, emotional intelligence and anger management among children and young people to address growing aggressive behaviour in society.
Speaking to a local news channel, she said children aged 10 to 18 should be taught how to handle conflicts constructively, while schools should focus not only on academic performance but also on empathy, emotional intelligence and understanding others’ perspectives.
She called for anger-management programmes in schools, colleges and workplaces, saying aggressive behaviour could also affect young people’s professional growth.
Sanam Pathan stressed the need to normalise the role of counsellors, coaches and mentors in schools and families, and urged parents to remain aware of their children’s friendships and social circles.
She said growing economic and social pressures had reduced parents availability for their children, leading youngsters to increasingly rely on the digital world for social interaction and engagement.
She urged schools, parents and society to develop a coordinated strategy to promote mental health among youngsters, and proposed making mental well-being education compulsory for young people aged 18 to 25.
She called for greater access to counselling and mentoring to equip young people with skills to manage emotions, resolve conflicts and build healthier social relationships.