What are the Merits and Demerits of Group Guidance and Group Counselling
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What are the Merits and Demerits of Group Guidance and Group Counselling
According to Jone, “Group guidance is any group enterprise or activity in which the primary purpose is to assist each individual in the group to solve his problems and to make his adjustments.”
Crow and Crow stated, “Guidance in group situations usually is thought of as referring to those guidance services that are made available by school personnel to large or small groups of pupils.”
Group guidance is assistance given to a group of people together facing similar problems. Many times people may be going through similar issues and need the guidance of someone else. Through a joint session, there problems can be discussed and worked on getting solved. The group may also help each other as they have similar issues. Group guidance and group counselling can be held in forms of:
i). Lectures or Talks
ii). Orientation classes
iii). Demonstrations and role-plays
Merits of Group Guidance and Group Counselling
The merits of group guidance and group counselling are as follows:
1). Able to provide guidance to many people at once which is also less time consuming rather then to assist each person individually.
2). People feel a sense of belongingness and understood as each individual is going through the same problems.
3). It provides an opportunity for people to interact and discuss problems one another facing similar issues.
4). Students get an understanding that everyone faces problems in life and it is able to get solved with unity.
5). It helps in the positive development of student’s personality, behaviours and attitudes.
6). Students learn to adjust with one another and be there for one another in times of need.
7). Group guidance makes an individual realise they’re not alone and everyone faces problems in life.
8). Group guidance brings people facing same problems together and help one anotherovercome several circumstances if possible.
9). Group guidance makes students open minded, free, and comfortable around their peers.
10). Students learn how to work as a team and have feelings of empathy and sympathy for one another.
Demerits of Group Guidance and Group Counselling
The demerits of group guidance and group counselling are the following:
1). Not all problems of an individual is provided guidance or gotten solved here.
2). Students aren’t able to share all their problems comfortably or openly without feeling judged.
3). Not every person is able to explain their emotions and feelings in front of a large group.
4). Group guidance aren’t extremely suitable for people with social anxiety and shy nature.
5). Group guidance doesn’t look into every single problem of an individual.
6). An individual’s problem isn’t anymore a problem just he knows but everyone else in the group does too.
7). There can be clashes of personality in people of the group due to different natures.
8). Not everybody in a group can be trusted so it doesn’t become easy to reveal one’s problem freely.
9). Once a problem of an individual is shared, it is no more a private matter and some people of the group may use it to the victim’s disadvantage.
10). Group guidance may sometimes lead to a person having social phobia.
11). Due to variation in people’s attitudes and behaviours, the group guidance may not be able to run smoothly due to differences in opinions and ideas.
Hence, there are both merits and demerits to group guidance and counselling.
