Management of behaviour

COMMON METHOD TO
MANAGE CHALLENGING
BEHAVIOUR
Dr. Sushma Rathee
Assistant clinical psychologist
PGIMER, Chandigarh
email: sushmaratheecp@gmail.com
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Managing Challenging Behaviour
• Steps taken to promote positive behaviour impact positively on
the general climate in the school and the classroom, and
minimise the occurrence of negative behaviour.
• The best efforts of schools to develop shared approaches that
promote positive behaviour, it is likely that all teachers and
schools will encounter situations of challenging behaviour.
Analysis of the behaviour is essential.
• The student may have been faced with a task they were unable
to complete, reacted to something said by another pupil, or be
distressed by something that has happened outside of school. It
may be possible to identify a pattern of behaviour such as a
child beginning to fidget after a certain period of time.
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Cont……
• An analysis of the behaviour of the student can help in
attempting to prevent a reoccurrence of the behaviour.
Analysis can also help to break down the behaviour so
that it can be tackled in small steps. For example, tackling
outbursts which include among other things, bad
language, might focus on dealing with the bad language,
before tackling other elements.
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• An analysis of the consequences of behaviour may give
clues as to how a situation occurs or develops. An
extreme example might be that following a particularly
bad outburst a child is sent home, which may have been
the child’s desired outcome. Attention seeking behaviour
may be considered successful by a child in that it
attracts negative attention from the teacher, or other
pupils. Sometimes, the initial response to misbehaviour
can serve to escalate a situation. A common example of
this is where an aggressive response to a behaviour
may provoke further aggression from a child.
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• Responding to Behaviour An appropriate response to
challenging behaviour depends on the type of behaviour
being exhibited by the child. Any response to challenging
behaviour should be consistent, fair, and be the least
disruptive response necessary to manage the behaviour.
A considered, proactive response is likely to be more
effective than one which is merely reactive, and which
may be influenced by an emotional response to the
incident.
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• One response to particular forms of challenging
behaviour is to ignore them. This strategy can be
effective in dealing with annoying behaviours such as
whining, pouting, screaming and tantrums. These
behaviours are generally aimed at getting something,
such as an object or attention. Initially, the behaviour
may worsen, as the child tries harder to get attention. By
ignoring the behaviour consistently, the child will come to
realise that the behaviour is not effective. However, this
approach must be combined with positive reinforcement
of appropriate behaviour. Ignoring is not appropriate for
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• Behaviours which are abusive, or destructive, or
behaviours such as lying, stealing or non-compliance. It
is important that teachers do not ignore children who are
off-task, or who are withdrawn. Teachers need a range
of strategies for redirecting such children, without
drawing attention to the student’s behaviour, or
disrupting the work of the class. Teachers use strategies
such as moving closer to a child, making eye contact, or
using visual clues such as pictures or hand movements
to remind children of appropriate behaviour. They also
use firm, direct and specific statements to remind
children of rules or the consequences of breaking them.
If children comply with the direction, their behaviour can
then be acknowledged positively.
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• More serious ou t bursts of misbehav i ou r, where the
child chooses to act inappro p r i a t e l y must be met with
con s e qu e n c e s, wh i ch are clear and logical. For
example, if ch i l d r e n fight in the yard, it is a logical con
s e qu e nce that they will have to leave the yard. If
children distract others in class they will have to work aw
ay from others. It is important that the con s e qu e nces
are fairly immediate, implementable, and appro p r i a t e
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• Consequences might include being moved in the class
room, a loss of privileges, or staying in during a break to
finish work or tidy up a mess.
• Consequences should never be physically or
psychologically harmful or humiliating. A school ’s Code of
Behaviour should outline the sanctions which are used in
the school.
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• Another strategy which may be useful in the case of a serious incident of
misbehaviour, or to prevent the escalation of an incident is providing for time out.
In such circumstances a child goes to a particular place in the class room,
designated as the time out or cool down area. Time outs should be for designated
misbehaviours on l y, and be part of a planned hierarchy of response. The time out
area should be aw ay from the other student s , but in the view of the teach e r. This
approach should be for a limited, specified period, and it should be borne in mind
that research has shown that five minutes is an optimal time frame. Children will
test the limits of such an intervention but, if it is followed through consistent l y, it
has proven to be an effective way to manage misbehaviour. Exiting a child from the
classroom may be necessary where the classroom is significantly disrupted. It is the
most intrusive action that the teacher can take and should, therefore, be a planned
intervention.
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• This should include the steps to be tried prior to exiting, where
the child will go and how they will be supervised. How the
child will return to the class should also be considered in
advance. Exiting needs to be planned on a whole school basis,
taking account of the particular needs of the school. Teachers
may agree, for example, to allow a child from another class to
have a time out in their room, in return for a reciprocal
arrangement. However, repeated exiting of a child can place an
unfair burden on a particular member of staff and may give the
children the message that the teacher is unable to manage the
child. It is also important that when the child returns from a
time-out, or having been exited that they are assisted in re-
establishing a working relationship with the teacher and the
class.

• Children with particularly challenging behaviour may
benefit from the drawing up of a behaviour plan. Such a
plan might set out the attainment of a particular
behaviour target over a short period of time such as a
day or a week. Plans should focus on one behaviour at a
time and the achievement of the targets should be
reinforced positively. Children should be involved in the
setting of targets. If a child is entitled to resource
teaching or has access to a support teacher on the basis
of their behavioural needs, the resource / support
teacher may be in a position to discuss the plans, or set
targets in consultation with the child and the class
teacher. However, continually placing the child on a
behaviour plan will reduce its effectiveness.
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ManagingAggressive or Violent Misbehaviour
• Aggressive and violent misbehaviour is not a regular
occurrence in most primary schools. However, when such
incidents occur, they are serious and cause a great deal
of stress for those involved. When faced with a potentially
violent situation the following steps may prove useful in
de-escalating the situation. Schools should develop a
system where a teacher can call for assistance if faced
with a potentially dangerous situation.
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• Where possible the child should be isolated. This may
involve the child being exited from the classroom, perhaps
with a special needs assistant, or with the assistance of
another teacher. An alternative is that the rest of the class
is removed from a potentially violent situation. ● The
child should be spoken to calmly, assertively and
respectfully. ● The teacher should stay at a safe distance. ●
It should be made clear that you are listening to the child.
In this way it may be possible to find out how the situation
has developed, or how it may be resolved. ● The child
should be asked to consider possible positive outcomes
and behaviours. ● The child should be given space and
time to cool off and to respond to requests.
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• It is important that any violent incident is recorded. It may
also be analysed using the Antecedent - Behaviour –
Consequences approach (see page 9) The most serious
form of misbehaviour is an assault. Circular 40/97 sets out
the procedures which should be followed in the case of an
assault by a pupil
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1. Physical Containment/ Restraint
• A small number of children with special education needs
may be unable to respond to the normal sanc t i ons
applicable or there may be emerg e ncy situa t i ons
where sanc t i ons are no t a p p ropriate or adequate. In
these circ u m s t a nces, in some special schools, the
use of phy s ical restraint may be part of the scho o l ’s
policy on challenging behav i ou r. In such cases, it s
hould be clear that any policy in the use of restraint must
be expressly approved by the b o a rd of manag e m e
nt, and incorporated in the scho o l ’s Code of Discipline
as part of a system of behav i our manag e m e nt. Te a
chers must be expressly authorised to utilise restraint
where necessary by the board in accord a nce with the
scho o l ’s policy
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2. Disrespect and backtalk
• When your three-year-old daughter talks back to you, it may seem funny and adorable. But when
your seven-year-old girl shouts out a ‘no’ every time you tell her to do something, it can get on your
nerves. If not handled properly, backtalk can lead to arguments between parents and children.
• So what do you do?
• If your child talks back but follows your instructions, then ignore it. Ignoring backtalk may be
okay if the behavior is not threatening or destructive.
• If the child follows instructions, even though he talks back, appreciate that they did what you asked,
even if they didn’t want to. You can then explain that it is okay to be angry, but not okay to speak to
you disrespectfully.
• But if the child’s responses are threatening others or self, then you need to pay attention to what
they say and handle it carefully.
• Do not respond impulsively. Let the child calm down and then address what he or she said. Tell
them calmly about what behavior is acceptable and what is not.
• Set limits and make them aware of the consequences. Do not threaten, just state plain facts that if
they talk back, they won’t get ice cream or go to the movie. For example, tell them if they continue
to yell and shout, then they will have to forgo the dinner. However, if they stop shouting and listen to
you, then they will get something nice for the dinner. Such give-and-take will look less controlling
but giving the option to the child themselves.
• Set expectations, but you can be a little flexible sometimes if it makes them happy.
• Finally, take a quick check of how you behave with the kids or others when the kids are around. Are
you rude or disrespectful? If yes, you need to start by changing your behavior.
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3.Abusive language
• Make sure you are not using such language in front of
kids.
• Have zero tolerance for verbal abuse at home. There is
no excuse for swearing or cursing. So if they use such
language, there is a consequence.
• Explain the consequences clearly and ensure they are
in place. So if your nine-year-old girl is grounded for one
day for abusive language, she will have to miss her
soccer practice or music class. There should be no two
ways about it.
• If your toddler is using such language, correct
them immediately. Tell them it is a “bad word” and
people do not like that word or kids who use that word.
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4. Lying
• Do not take it personally. Think about it from your child’s
perspective to understand what compelled him to lie.
• Kids may lie when they are scared that the truth might
have negative consequences. Appreciate the positives
rather than punishing negative behavior to prevent your
child’s need for lying.
• Teach them to be honest. Start by being a role model.
• Have consequences for lying. No arguments or
discussions about it. Your kid lies, he gets to deal with
the consequences.
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5. Bullying
• Start teaching your kids from an early age that bullying is
wrong. More importantly, explain to them what or who a
bully is and give them examples of what bullies do. For
example, you can say, “A bully is someone who calls
people names, or does mean things to them, or takes
their property by force.”
• Set rules and standards in the house early on. Make a
statement like “we do not bully in this house” or “You do
not get away with such behavior in this house”.
• Watch out for signs of bullying: see if your older kids are
trying to bully the younger ones, and rectify the behavior
immediately.
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6. Manipulation
• Manipulation is tricky and a very exhausting behavior to handle.
Children tend to act out, lie, or cry to get what they want. If you
give in to the bad behavior in children, your child feels justified. For
example, if your child throws a tantrum in public for a candy bar
and you buy her one, she has just manipulated you.
• In simple words, when your child manipulates you, she has power
over you. As an adult, you can always break the pattern and stop
falling for your child’s manipulative behavior.
• Expect your child to fight every time you say ‘no’. That way, you
can figure out how to deal with their behavior and not fall for
manipulation.
• Make it clear that when you say ‘no’, it means no. You can give
them a brief explanation of your position, but don’t get into
justifying it.
• Avoid discussion, but don’t shut them off completely. Try to listen to
their side of the argument as long as the child is respectful and not
rude or abusive.
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7. Lack of motivation and laziness
• Your child doesn’t seem interested in doing anything at all. Be it schoolwork, art
or music practice or even playing, he refuses to participate. Motivating kids is
not easy, especially if they are lazy and tend to find an excuse for not doing
anything. When your son or daughter is unmotivated, here is how you can help.
• Don’t get anxious by your child’s behavior. When you do, you may be seen as
pushy, and that can encourage them to resist you.
• You can tell them the stories about your childhood and share your
experiences to inspire and encourage them to try something new.
• Do not force your child to take up a hobby. Give them options and let them
choose. Kids are more interested in something that they choose.
• Take a step back and check: are you forcing your kid to do something? Ask
what your child really wants and what motivates him? See your child as a
separate person to identify what motivates them.
• Try to find ways to get your kids motivated on their own. Self-motivation is more
powerful than being driven by others.
• Encourage younger children to take up daily chores by making them fun. You
may set a competition of who picks up the most number of toys or bits of
paper from the floor or who makes their bed first.
• For older children, making them responsible for tasks such as washing the
dishes, setting the table or cleaning up to set the expectations clear. Set limits
like we will watch a movie once you have finished your chore.
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WHEN THE CHILD IS
SAFE, SECURE, AND
SUCCESSFUL . . .
You are safe, secure,
and successful too!

Management of behaviour

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