Peter Pan Syndrome

Why in news?

• A special court in Mumbai has granted bail to a 23-year-old accused of sexually assaulting a minor. The court found the two were romantically involved, and that the 14-year-old had voluntarily been with the accused.
• During the hearing, the accused had told the court he suffered from “Peter Pan Syndrome”, prompting the special public prosecutor to argue that a medical examination of the man showed no signs of abnormality, and that the defence itself could not provide medical papers to support the claim.

About the syndrome:

• Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist James Matthew Barrie in the early 1900s and the character is one of a care-free young boy.
• It is said that people who develop similar behaviours — of living life carefree, finding responsibilities challenging in adulthood, and basically, “never growing up” — suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome.
• While the World Health Organization does not recognise Peter Pan Syndrome as a health disorder, many experts believe it is a mental health condition that can affect one’s quality of life.
• The term ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ first appeared in 1983, in a book authored by Dr Dan Kiley titled who described it as a “social-psychological phenomenon”.
• As Peter Pan Syndrome hasn’t officially been diagnosed as a health disorder, there aren’t clearly-defined symptoms or characteristics or even reasons which cause it.
• The ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ affects people who do not want or feel unable to grow up, people with the body of an adult but the mind of a child.
• They don’t know how to or don’t want to stop being children and start being mothers or fathers.

Wendy Syndrome

• Wendy Syndrome takes after Wendy Darling, who appears beside Peter Pan but is seen as playing an antithetical character.
• She is often called a “mother”, taking on the role of an adult or someone more mature.
• Healthline describes people suffering from Wendy Syndrome as often seen “making decisions, tidying up messes, and offering one-sided emotional support”.

Prelims Question

” Peter Pan Syndrome”, recently in news is related to the field of :
(a)Mental health
(b)Arms race
(c)Climate Change
(d)Urban Development

Answer to the Prelims Question