Jealousy Meaning
Jealousy is a feeling caused by a loss of affection. It is the projection of an attitude of resentment or anger. Jealousy is the explosion of anger or temper tantrums. Here, we will discuss, “Jealousy”, “What is Jealousy?”, “Jealousy Meaning”
In young children, jealousy is seen when there is the birth of a sibling. Because the older child thinks he can no longer get affection and attention from the parents anymore & he feels neglected. So, the child will become resentful towards both the mother and the new baby. In the same way, the young child is jealous of the older one because of the facilities given to older ones.
Jealousy also arises for social causes. It involves people, especially for whom the child has some liking or affection. When there is the birth of a sibling, the older child becomes jealous. The older child thinks that he may not get the affection and attention from the parents no longer & in this situation, they feel neglected. So, he becomes resentful toward both the mother and the new baby.
Parental favoritism for the attractive, affectionate, or gifted child creates jealous behavior in children. The competitive attitude of parents, for example; comparing one child’s performance with another child creates developing jealousy in children. While the child enters the school, he becomes jealous of classmates, and jealousy becomes violent when teachers compare students with each other. One student will be envious of another student if another one is more popular than himself or excels in athletics or any activities. Girls are often jealous of boys in their classes. The child is also jealous of other children if they have greater material possessions, for example; more toys, more clothes, etc.
The child becomes jealous in mild annoyance as well as in extreme fighting and anger. Being jealous, young children react directly or indirectly to their parents. Direct reactions are hitting, kicking, biting, pushing, punching, or scratching the person whose attention the child needs or about whom he is jealous. The child’s indirect responses are infantile behaviors like bedwetting, thumbsucking, general mischief, destructiveness, name-calling, and a strong feeling toward toys or animals.
Girls are more jealous than boys. More girls show jealousy at an early age. More boys show jealousy at a later age. There is more jealousy at the higher intellectual level than at the lower intellectual level. Jealousy happens more in the girl-and-girl combination than in the boy-and-boy or boy-and-girl combination in the family. Inconsistency in discipline also tends to increase jealousy.