Language of Behaviors
When children misbehave they
are actually using their behavior as a language to tell us something about how
they are feeling or what they want from their environment. There are 6 different main reasons why
students behave as they do:
1.
Revenge
2.
Escape/Avoidance
3.
Attention
4.
Power
5.
Self-regulation
6.
Play
If you analyze the child’s
behavior through what you know about the child, through your observations and
through trying different interventions to see if they work, you can determine
what it is that the child wants. Then
you can try to give them that in more positive, constructive ways. Let’s look at each of these reasons for
behaviors.
Material and ideas taken from Topper, K., Williams, W., Leo,
K., Hamilton, R., Fox, T. (1994) A positive approach to understanding and
addressing challenging behaviors UAP of Vermont Center for DEvelopmental
Disabilities, Burlington, VT.
Attention
- The person is trying to gain attention from others through their behavior.
"Heh, what about me?"
Positive:
Student is interested in relationships with adults and peers
Student
is asking for attention
- Behavior distracts peers
- Behavior occurs when someone
stops paying attention to the student
- Behavior occurs when
attention is paid to someone other than the student
- Behavior distracts teacher
and classmates
Reasons
for behavior
- adults pay more attention to
inappropriate than appropriate behaviors
- student doesn't know how to
ask for attention appropriately
- student doesn't get
sufficient personal attention
- student has few friends
- student has low self esteem
Plan
- Increase opportunities for
positive attention and friendships
- Increase the student's
status, self esteem, and image
Getting
Something - The person is trying to get some "thing" (e.g., toy,
food, object) through their behavior. "I'm hungry! Bring me a
cookie."
Escape/Avoidance
- The person is trying to get out of doing something, or get away from an
undesirable task/activity through their behavior. "Let me out of
here!"
Positive:
Student may want to succeed if he can be assured of not making mistakes and of
achieving some status
- student does behavior when
pressured to succeed
- Student procrastinates, fails
to complete projects
- student develops temporary
incapacity or assume behaviors that resemble a learning disability
- student develops physical
complaints
- behavior occurs when the
student is asked to do something she does not like to do
- the behavior stops after you
stop making demands
- the behavior occurs in
stressful situations
Reasons
for behaviors
- unreasonable expectations by
others
- student's belief that only
perfection is acceptable
- emphasis on competition in
the classroom
- failure to be avoided at all
cost
- the work is too difficult
fort the student
Plan
- increase the student's
personal control and choices
- increase the student's
status. self esteem and image
- individualize instruction
based on the student's abilities and interests
- expand the number and type
of activities to which the student has access
Play
- The use of the behavior is entertaining to the person, sometimes because of
the response of others. "Want to play?"
Positive:
Student enjoys life, is able to amuse herself, wants friends
- behavior would occur when no
one else was around
- the student seems to enjoy
performing the behavior
- student is sorry if someone
gets hurt
Possible
reasons for behavior
- Society expects children to
play
- student is involved in
student activities for long periods of time
- lack of opportunities to
interact with peers
Plan
- increase the student's
personal control and choices
- increase opportunities for
positive attention and friendship
- individualize instruction
based upon the student's abilities and interests
- expand the number and type
of activities to which the student has access
Self-regualtion/Coping
- The person uses the behavior to affect their emotional or physical state of
being (e.g., the behavior calms them down, or picks them up). "Ah! That
feels better!"
Positive:
Behaviors may work to reduce anxiety
- The behavior tends to
happen over and over again
Attempts
to reduce stimulation
- the behavior occurs when
there is a lot going on
- the student can do other
things while doing the behavior
- the behavior tends to occur
in stressful, anxiety producing or highly demanding situation
Attempts
to increase stimulation
- the behavior occurs when
there is little going on
- the behavior occurs when
the student seems bored
- the behavior seems to
follow periods of non-activity) e.g. periods of seat work
Possible
reasons for behavior
- has not learned alternative
ways of coping
- understimulated by environment
- overstimulated by
environment
- student may be gifted or
experience a learning impairment, ADHD, PTSD
Plan
- increase the students
personal control and choices
- individualize instruction
based ont he students abilities and interests
- expand the number and type
of activities to which the student ahs access
Physiological
- The behavior is part of a physiological condition that the person cannot
control. "Sorry, I can't help it!"
Control
- the behavior serves the need to be in control of events/life
Positive:
Student exhibits leadership potential, assertiveness and independent thinking
- When doing the behavior,
the student is disruptive and confrontational
- When doing the behavior the
student is often pleasant and even agreeable - quiet noncompliance
- Behavior occurs when an
activity or event is taken away
- behavior stops when student
gets her way
Possible
reasons for behavior
- society stresses dominant
submissive roles rather than equality in relationships
- success is defined as
achieving personal power
- lack of control in persons
life
- past history of
abuse/victimization
Plan
- Increase the student's
personal control and choices
- 'Increase the student's
status, self esteem and image
Revenge
- behavior serves the need to punish others for something that was done to the student.
Positive
student is trying to protect self from further hurt
- Behavior is hurtful
- Student is sullen and
withdrawn, refusing overtures of friendship
- the student does not show
remorse following behavior
- the behavior occurs after
you take something away
- the behavior occurs after
you require the student to do an unwanted activity
- student expresses concerns
about fairness
- behavior is directed at
person who is perceived as more valued by others
Possible
reasons for behavior
- a reflection of the
increasing violence in society
- media role models that solve
conflicts by force
- unjust society, unequal
treatment
- anger over personal
circumstance or past wrongs
- provocation by another
- jealousy
Plan
- increase person control
- increase opportunities for
positive attention
- increase status