AIZAWL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

BACHELOR OF DIVINITY 2024-2025

Assignment on
Towards Inclusive Communities: Children at Risk

Topic : Overcoming Adult-Child Dichotomy

Submitted to : Rev Dr Rosiamliana Tochhawng
Submitted by : Amosa C. Lalbiaktluanga, BD- II

1. INTRODUCTION:

Adult-Child dichotomy may be understood as the difference of perspective and

responsibilities a child and an adult are expected to have. However, this difference of
opinion and perspective can deeply affect the minds of children and may further lead to
problems in their lives and how they react to various situations in their lives. Looking
further into the topic, overcoming such dichotomy may require awareness and educating
the mass populace to realize the effects and problems it may bring about.

2. CAUSES:
2.1. Preconceived Ideas: Adults usually have their own agendas and programs, thereby,
neglecting the presence of children and sometimes even shooing them away from
“Adult” conversations. This clearly builds a wall between children and adults and
may result in the children thinking that they are unwanted and unimportant. Leading
to them being socially distant to the adults. This could result in them not being able
to learn how to socialise and have proper respect to adults and other people in
general. This can also lead to the children not living their life, but a life which is
controlled by others or adults.1

2.2. Distribution of Responsibilities: Adult-Child dichotomy can also occur when

distribution of responsibilities is not done so in a well manner. If children are
exempted from all work and the adults do all necessary tasks. This may instil a
misconception in children that all things are easy and free and that no work is for
them. If the adults cannot trust the children to do simple tasks or even more
complicated ones, then the children cannot have any real contribution to the family
which will affect the position of the children, putting them in a position where they
cannot have any say in family matters and maybe even feel “out of place” in the
family itself.

2.3. Over-pampering: This is a serious issue where children are often pampered to the that
they become “spoiled”. Where they believe everything can be as how they want it
and that they can get whatever they want. Adults are responsible for this type of

1
Athriba Sangtam, Children Without Childhood (New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2018) 62.
 behaviour as when they come of age, they will start to experience that the world is
not so forgiving and graceful. Adults must be able to provide and support children
such that they become responsible adults themselves.

2.4. Stereotypes: There may be many cases of stereotypes between adults and children
where adults are always considered to be authoritative and children to be fully
dependent on adults. This can lead to not validating any opinion from children and
not giving them any voice in their own lives. If the children are influenced with
negative environment, they will most likely have a handicap which may be difficult
to overcome in the future.2

3. REMEDIES:
3.1. Respecting Children: Children are also humans, though they might be small and
unable to grasp and understand everything around them, they can be taught and
shown how to do it. Exposing them to the adult world in a safe manner can greatly
benefit their perceptions and help them understand things which people are expected
to be aware of. Instead of simply neglecting them and turning them away, adults
should give them time and hear what they have to say. This will instil confidence and
value to the children and will learn the need to do so themselves as well.

3.2. Responsibilities: Teaching and giving responsibilities to children is a great way of

helping children to mature and be aware of their environments. A child who
frequently cleans the house and do chores will be more aware of their home and its
surroundings instead of one who constantly have all that he/she needs and never
having to work for it. This will help adults to respect children and trust them in their
duties which will greatly benefit their relationship and build mutual trust.

3.3. Environment: Children need a safe and free environment 3 to fully grow and mature.
An environment which is over protective or over pampering will hinder their growth
process and greatly affect their experience needed to face the world. Adults should be
able to expose children to certain events and situations where they must think for
themselves and not be solely dependent on others. This will create an opportunity for
the children and develop great surviving traits which will help them in the days to
come. A child which does not know the heat of fire may as well not know the need to
fear fire. By being in a safe environment, the children will grow and thus will also
affect how adults view them and create a more balanced and closer relationship
between the adult and child.

2
Dorothy Bertolet Fritz, The Child and the Christian Faith (Virginia: The CLC Press Richmond, 1964), 114.
3
Lelie Rhakho, Mission Towards Children at Risk (Avid Cross Ministry, 2018) 32.
 3.4. Conduct: Studies have shown that children would follow instructions best when
doing it themselves. Only seeing and hearing things may not be enough for them to
learn things clearly.4So they must be taught how to conduct themselves in the
presence of adults and the adults must also conduct themselves in such a manner that
the children feel respected and that they have a voice.

4. OVERCOMING THE DICHOTOMY:

The causes and remedies mentioned above will greatly help in overcoming the
dichotomy present between children and adults. This dichotomy which makes us believe
that children and adults are completely different in manners of emotions and physical and
mental capabilities can be fixed or mended by in such a way that the barrier which
separates them can be thinned down to such an extent that they can be seen almost as
equals. However, this does not mean that children can be wholly independent of adults as
they are more experienced and capable in many things. The main focus is to shorten the
gap between adults and children such that the children can have more inclusive and well-
rounded experience which will enable them to become responsible adults themselves.
However, overcoming the dichotomy is no mere child’s play. It needs a lot of
work and self-awareness for the adults to let the children act and behave in such ways as
adults being the providers and caretakers, it is hard to look at children in such views and it
takes a lot of faith to watch them do things and figure it out themselves where the adults
could easily do the tasks for them or teach it to them.

Proverbs 22:6 says that “Train children in the right way, and when old, they
will not stray.” (NRSV) This clearly shows that children can be trained and that they can
learn from it.

5. CONCLUSION:
Adults and children are all human beings who appreciate being trusted and being
praised. The adult-child dichotomy imbalances their relationship between each other. This
result in negative impact on the growth of children and be a huge hindrance in their social
lives. However, by careful studying and awareness, one can free from such dichotomy
and foster a great environment for both children and adults to learn from each other and
respect and trust each other.

4
Dorothy Bertolet Fritz, The Child and the Christian Faith (Virginia: The CLC Press Richmond, 1964), 84.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sangtam, Athriba, Children Without Childhood. New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2018.

Rhakho, Lelie, Mission Towards Children at Risk. Avid Cross Ministry, 2018.

Fritz, Dorothy Bertolet, The Child and the Christian Faith, Virginia: The CLC Press
Richmond, 1964.