DANIELA AYA

BEED- ECE 4

Behavioral Problems in Children

1. Hitting

Definition
 Hitting is the most common type of aggressive behavior

 Hurting other people (assault) is not acceptable in the adult world. It's
not allowed on school grounds. It's also potentially harmful. We need to
teach children not to behave this way.

Nature of the behavioral problem

 Others include slapping, pinching, scratching, poking, hair pulling, biting,
kicking, shoving, and knocking down.

Causes

 Some children become very aggressive because they are spanked at

home or witness domestic violence.

 Most children try aggressive behaviors because they see children or

people on TV react this way. If children get what they want by hitting, this
behavior becomes more frequent.

Effect on child

 As aggressive children grow older and enter adolescence, they become

at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior (Brown &
Finkelfor, 1986; Lewis, 1992; Rosenberg & Rossman, 1998).

Intervention

CLARIFY THE RULE: "NO HITTING":

 Reason: "Hitting hurts. We do not hurt people

INTERRUPT ANY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR WITH A SHARP "NO":
 When your child hurts someone, intervene now. Be sure to use an unfriendly
voice and look your child straight in the eye.
GIVE A TIME-OUT WHEN HE HURTS SOMEONE:
 Send him to a boring place or corner. Require one minute per year of age in
time-out.
 If time-out does not work, also take away a favorite toy or screen time for the rest
of the day.
NEVER HIT YOUR CHILD FOR HITTING SOMEONE ELSE:
 Hitting your child teaches that it is fine to hit if you are bigger.

 If your child tends to be aggressive, it's important to avoid any physical

punishment for discipline.
HELP YOUR CHILD VERBALIZE HIS FEELINGS:
 If your child has trouble talking about his anger, put it into words for him: "I know
that you feel angry."
PRAISE YOUR CHILD FOR FRIENDLY BEHAVIOR:
 Praise your child for kindness. Praise for playing with others in a friendly way,
sharing things, and helping other children.
 Some children like a system of receiving a treat or a star for each day they do not
hurt anyone.

Reference: https://pediaclinic.net/Hitting-and-Aggressive-Behavior

2. Bullying

DEFINITON

 Bullying is the use of force, coercion, or threat, to abuse,

aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual.
One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an
imbalance of physical or social power. This imbalance distinguishes bullying from
conflict.

Nature of the behavioral problem

  Bullying is the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another
individual, physically, mentally, or emotionally.

CAUSES:

 Environmental factors

Physical violence in media may contribute to bullying. Some children can watch a lot of
violence in the media and not be affected while others can display higher levels of
aggression from watching materials deemed to be violent. 

 Low self-esteem

Some students who bully others actually have low self-esteem. 

 Lack of compassion and empathy

Although there are others that have much higher self-confidence, they usually lack
compassion and empathy and can respond aggressively whenever they feel threatened.

 Societal factors

A typical example is bullying based on sexual orientation.

 Peer groups

The influence of peer groups can also contribute a lot in bullying.

 Craving attention

In some cases, there are some who crave for attention and the desire to be perceived
as brave and confident.
  Dysfunctional families

Children who bully are 3 times more likely to have family or parental problems.

EFFECT ON CHILD

 Bullying during early school years can have long-lasting effects on our
children, including low grades and poor academic performance, insomnia, a
low self-esteem, and other health problems.  

INTERVENTION

At the school level:

 A bullying survey to determine the extent of the problem.

 a conference day to educate teachers, administrators, school staff, parents,
students, and community members about bullying behaviors, response strategies,
and available resources.
 Increased supervision in the cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, and on the
playground, where most bullying behavior occurs.

At the classroom level:

 a curriculum that promotes kindness, communication, cooperation, and friendship

and includes lessons and activities stressing empathy, anger management, and
conflict resolution skills.
 Class rules against bullying. Rules should be brief and clear. Olweus suggests
the following examples:
1. We will not bully other students
2. We will try to help students who are bullied.
3. We will include students who might be left out.
 Immediate consequences for aggressive behavior and immediate rewards for
inclusive behavior. Possible sanctions include having the bully
1. apologize;
2. discuss the incident with the teacher, principal, and/or parents;
3. pay for damaged belongings;
4. spend time in the office or another classroom;
5. Forfeit recess or other privileges.

At the individual level:

 serious talks with bullies and victims.

 serious talks with the parents of bullies and victims.
 role playing of non-aggressive behavior with bullies.
 role playing of assertive behavior with victims.

Reference: https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/parenting/big-kids/causes-of-
bullying-a1862-20200209

3. SEPARATION ANXIETY

DEFINITON

Separation anxiety disorder is NOT a normal stage of development, but a serious

emotional problem characterized by extreme distress when a child is away from the
primary caregiver. However, since normal separation anxiety and separation anxiety
disorder share many of the same symptoms, it can be confusing to try to figure out if
your child just needs time and understanding—or has a more serious problem.

NATURE OF THE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM

 An unrealistic and lasting worry that something bad will happen to the parent or
caregiver if the child leaves
 An unrealistic and lasting worry that something bad will happen to the child if they
leave the caregiver
 Refusal to go to school in order to stay with the caregiver
 Refusal to go to sleep without the caregiver being nearby or to sleep away from
home
 Fear of being alone
 Nightmares about being separated
 Bed-wetting
 Complaints of physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomachaches
 Repeated temper tantrums or pleading
 Intense fear or guilt

CAUSES:

 A significant stressful or traumatic event in the child's life, such as a stay in the
hospital, the death of a loved one or pet, or a change in environment (such as
moving to another house or a change of schools)
 Children whose parents are overprotective may be more prone to separation
anxiety. In fact, it may not necessarily be a disease of the child but a sign of parental
separation anxiety as well -- parent and child can feed the other's anxiety.
 Children with separation anxiety often have family members with anxiety or other
mental disorders, which suggests that a risk of getting the disorder may be inherited.
 Insecure attachment to parents or caregivers

EFFECT ON CHILD

 Some children also develop physical symptoms, such as headaches or

stomachaches, at the thought of being separated. The fear of separation causes
great distress to the child and may interfere with their normal activities, like going
to school or playing with other children.

INTERVENTION

 Practice separation. Leave your child with a caregiver for brief periods and
short distances at first. As your child gets used to separation, you can
gradually leave for longer and travel further.
  Develop a quick “goodbye” ritual. Rituals are reassuring and can be as
simple as a special wave through the window or a goodbye kiss. Keep things
quick, though, so you can:
 Leave without fanfare. Tell your child you are leaving and that you will return,
then go—don’t stall or make it a bigger deal than it is.
 Follow through on promises. For your child to develop the confidence that
they can handle separation, it’s import you return at the time you promised.

References: guide.org/articles/anxiety/separation-anxiety-and-separation-
anxiety-disorder

4. ATTENTION SEEKER

DEFINITION

 Attention-seeking behavior can include saying or doing something with the goal
of getting the attention of a person or a group of people. It's normal for children to
need attention and approval. However, attention-seeking becomes a problem
when it happens all the time. Even charming attention-seeking can become
controlling. Many children make tragedies out of trivial concerns to get your
sympathy. Excessive attention-seeking results in a situation where your child
commands your life.

NATURE OF THE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM

 Faking illnesses to get some of your time

 Causing drama or throwing tantrums at home or in public settings
 Causing harm to others and trying to play hero
 Creating problems that make one parent argue with the other
 Playing the victim by magnifying the proportion of simple, everyday problems
 Showing that they are super busy and completing everything on time, or befor
 CAUSES:

The emotional issues or causes of attention-seeking behaviour in children are –

 Your child has trouble making friends at school.

 He doesn’t get enough attention from you at home.
 He feels lonely or left out amidst other siblings.
 He feels ignored due to parents being busy or working too much.
 He doesn’t get enough attention at school or in other social settings.
 Past experiences or trauma.

EFFECT ON CHILD

 It is important to seek out the why behind this behavior because if it persists it

could lead your child down a road of bullying behavior.

INTERVENTION

 Catch them being good. Give attention for appropriate behavior. Look for
opportunities to make a positive comment, to pat a child on the shoulder, to
share an activity, and to have a conversation. Fill up the attention hole with good
stuff as many times a day as you can. Surely we can all do better than that 3.5
minute daily average!
 Ignore the misbehavior but not the child. When the child misbehaves, resist
the temptation to lecture, nag, scold, yell, or punish. Negative reactions will only
keep the negative interaction going. Instead, simply quietly send her to timeout
(no more than one minute per year of age). The less talking about the
misbehavior, the better. When the time’s up, invite her to come back to join the
family. Give her reassurance that you know she can behave now. Then find a
way to engage with her positively for at least a few minutes before moving on.
The same principle holds for older kids. If they won’t take a timeout, you can.
Withdraw, take a breath, and make a rational decision about appropriate
consequences. Institute the consequence without drama and re-engage
positively.
 Be consistent. It’s the only way children know we mean what we say.
 Repeat. Repeat until the child gets it. Repeat whenever misbehavior is more
than a momentary lapse. Repeat more than you think should be necessary. Do it
until it becomes a pattern of interaction in your family’s life.
5. FREQUENT TANTRUMS

DEFINITION

A tantrum, temper tantrum, fit or hissy fit is an emotional outburst, usually

associated with those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized
by stubbornness, crying, screaming, violence, defiance, angry ranting, a
resistance to attempts at pacification, and, in some cases, hitting, and other
physically violent behavior. Physical control may be lost; the person may be
unable to remain still; and even if the "goal" of the person is met, they may not
be calme

NATURE OF THE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM

Generally, tantrums are an expression of frustration. Children may be frustrated

by their inability to perform an activity they are attempting, such as buttoning a
coat. Tantrums may also be an expression of frustration at the lack of control
children have over their lives, such as at bedtime when children want to continue
playing instead of going to bed. Occasionally a tantrum may also be an attempt
to gain attention from a parent or other caregiver, or it may be an attempt to
manipulate the situation in some way.

CAUSES
  Temperament – this influences how quickly and strongly children react to things
like frustrating events. Children who get upset easily might be more likely to have
tantrums.
 Stress, hunger, tiredness and overstimulation – these can make it harder for
children to express and manage feelings and behaviour.
 Situations that children just can’t cope with – for example, a toddler might have
trouble coping if an older child takes a toy away.
 Strong emotions – worry, fear, shame and anger can be overwhelming for
children.

EFFECT ON CHILDREN

 Frustration, tiredness, and hunger are the most common causes.

 Children may scream, cry, thrash, roll on the floor, throw things, and stomp their
feet during a tantrum.
 If distraction does not stop the tantrum, the child may have to be removed from
the situation.

INTERVENTION

There are things you can do to make tantrums less likely to happen:

 Reduce stress. Tired, hungry and overstimulated children are more likely to
experience tantrums.
 Tune in to your child’s feelings. If you’re aware of your child’s feelings, you might
be able to sense when big feelings are on the way. You can talk about what’s
going on and help your child manage difficult feelings. You might also be able
to distract your child.
 Identify tantrum triggers. For example, your child might have tantrums when
you’re shopping. You might be able to plan for this situation or change the
environment to avoid tantrums. For example, it might help to go shopping after
your child has had a nap and a snack.
 Talk about emotions with your child. When your child struggles with a strong
feeling, encourage your child to name the feeling and what caused it. For
example, ‘Did you throw your toy because you were cross that it wasn’t working?
What else could you have done?’

Sometimes tantrums happen, no matter what you do to avoid them. Here are some
ideas for handling tantrums when they happen:
 Stay calm (or pretend to!). Take a moment for yourself if you need to. If you get
angry, it’ll make the situation harder for both you and your child. When you
speak, keep your voice calm and level, and act deliberately and slowly.
 Acknowledge your child’s strong feelings. For example, ‘It’s very upsetting when
your ice-cream falls out of the cone, isn’t it?’ This can help prevent behaviour
getting more out of control and gives your child a chance to reset emotions.
 Wait out the tantrum. Stay close so your child knows you’re there. But don’t try to
reason with your child or distract them. It’s too late once a tantrum has started.
 Take charge when you need to. If the tantrum happens because your child wants
something, don’t give your child what they want. If your child doesn’t want to do
something, use your judgment. For example, if your child doesn’t want to get out
of the bath, pulling out the plug might be safer than lifting out your child.
 Be consistent and calm in your approach. If you sometimes give your child what
they want when they have tantrums and you sometimes don’t, the problem could
get worse.