Behavior

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Behavior

• Classroom Management
• Jennifer Quinones, M.Ed.

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Aggressive Behavior in Children
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Aggressive Behavior

• Definition
• Aggressive behavior is reactionary and impulsive
  behavior that often results in breaking rules or
  the law aggressive behavior is violent and
  unpredictable.

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• There is no single theory about the causes of
  aggressive behavior in humans. Some believe
  aggression is innate or instinctive.
• Research suggests the breakdown in commonly
  shared values, changes in traditional family
  patterns of child-rearing, and social isolation
  lead to increasing aggression in children.

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• Aggression in children correlates with
• Family unemployment
• Strife
• Criminality
• Psychiatric disorders

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Boys vs. Girls

• Differences exist between levels of aggression in
  boys and girls in the same families.
• Boys are almost always more aggressive than
  girls.
• Larger children are more aggressive than smaller
  ones.

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• Children in all age groups learn that aggressive
  behavior is a powerful way to communicate their
  wishes or deal with their likes and dislikes.

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Infancy

• Infants are aggressive when they are hungry,
  uncomfortable, fearful, angry, or in pain.
• Crying is an infant's defense, the way to
  communicate feelings and needs.

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Toddlers

• Children between 2 4 yrs of age show aggressive
  outbursts such as temper tantrums and hurting
  others or damaging toys and furniture because
  they are frustrated.
• Usually the aggression in this age group is
  expressed toward parents as a way to get their
  compliance with the child's wishes.
• Verbal aggression increases as vocabulary
  increases.

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Preschool

• Children between 4 5 yrs of age can be
  aggressive toward their siblings and peers.
• Because of greater social interaction, children
  need to learn the differences between real and
  imaginary insults, as well as the difference
  between standing up for their rights and
  attacking in anger.

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Understanding the Aggressive Child

• When children lose their sense of connection to
  others, they may feel
• Tense
• Frightened
• Isolated
• Effective parents listen and allow the child to
  vent without becoming alarmed.

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Factors that increase risk of Violent Behavior

• Victim of physical and sexual abuse
• Exposure to violence in the home and community

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Violence in Media

• Exposure to violence in media (TV, movies)

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Violence in Music
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Factors that increase risk of Violent Behavior

• Use of drugs and alcohol
• Presence of firearms in home
• Combination of stressful family socioeconomic
  factors (poverty, marital breakup, single
  parenting, unemployment, loss of support from
  extended family)
• Brain injury

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Aggressive BehaviorIntervention Strategies
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Intervention

• While upset, children do not have access to
  rational thinking.
• Don't expect a child to do or say anything until
  she has had time to calm down.
• Allow time for cooling off.
• This may mean comforting the child for awhile,
  validating her feelings, removing her from an
  upsetting situation (while comforting and/or
  validating feelings.)
• Help the child express her own feelings before
  helping her consider someone else's feelings.
  Point to the feelings faces chart and let her
  choose a picture that expresses her feelings if
  she can't verbalize them without help.

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Prevention Strategies

• Adults can teach children nonviolence by
  controlling their own tempers.
• Adults express anger in quiet, and assertive
  ways.
• Responsible parenting does not to tolerate
  violence or use it in any way.
• Adults should intervene quickly but calmly

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Prevention Strategies

• The most important step
• Set firm consistent limits
• Be sure that everyone caring for the child acts
  in accordance with rules and expectations

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• Offer many opportunities to express feelings,
  including anger, in acceptable ways.
• Pretend play with toys and dolls.
• "Oh, I see the bear is very angry at the giraffe.
  I wonder why.
• Storytelling and drawing.

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• Use what and how questions to help the child
  explore
• - What happened
• - How he feels about it
• - What ideas he has to solve the problem

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• After the child has calmed down, feels validated
  for his feelings, and possibly has identified the
  other person's feelings, she might be guided to
  apologize only if it is her idea.
• This sometimes happens by asking
• - What would make you feel better?
• - Would it help you if the other person gave you
  a hug, or said she was sorry?

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• Once the child has identified what might make her
  feel better, you could ask
• - Would you be willing to help the other person
  feel better?
• - What could you do, and when would you like to
  do it?
• Helping a child decide to do something for
  someone else is much different that demanding
  that they do. The point is to help the child
  think things through in a friendly environment
  instead of demanding an apology (which often
  invites rebellion or just plain confusion).

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Classroom Management
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Video

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vkFgOEQlHp7Ifeatur
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  fromPLindex3

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A lap to sit on

• We took a pair of old large size jeans and
  sewed the bottom of the legs shut. Then we
  stuffed the pants with batting and used Velcro
  for the waist so that it can be easily washed.
  The children always have a lap to sit on. We
  usually let the special line leader sit on it at
  circle time.

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Tell the Turtle

• We were having a problem with tattling in our
  4 year old Pre-K class so my assistant and I came
  up with tell the turtle. There is a big turtle on
  the wall at child's eye level and if someone
  needs to tattle they can "tell the turtle".

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• "Tattle Tell Thursday"
• Several years ago, in my class of three year
  olds the tattling got out of hand. One morning
  during our circle time a one little boy started
  to tattle and I told him that it was not tattle
  tell day. A little girl then asked me when could
  they tattle. I quickly answered that they could
  tattle on Thursday. When Thursday rolled around,
  they reminded me while we were singing the days
  of the week song that it was Thursday and they
  could tattle. I held to my word and let them
  tattle all day. After that week when a child
  would start to tattle, I would ask them what day
  it was and if it was not Thursday they would
  smile and go work the problem out on their own.
  After a few weeks, the tattling stopped even on
  Thursdays. Several other teachers have adopted
  "Tattle Tell Thursday" with their classes and
  have been pleased with the results.

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• To the tune of "Brother John
• Please don't hit me. Please don't hit me. It's
  not fun. It's not fun. You give me an owie.
• You give me an owie. When you're done. When
  you're done.

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• Samantha the Story Mouse
• Purchase a small stuffed mouse. You can make a
  little house for her from a shoe box. The first
  day of school at story time introduce Samantha.
  Can everyone see her Big Ears? Samantha needs
  everyone to be very, very quiet at story time so
  that she can hear the story. If you have a
  birthday boy or girl, or a special person that
  day, that child may hold the mouse, as you read
  or present your story. If children "forget" to be
  quiet, ask the student holding the mouse, "how
  does Samantha like it during story time?" Very
  quiet. That's right!

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• Behavior Bears
• We use behavior bears to recognize the good
  choices the children make each day. In a handy
  spot there is a pocket chart, each child has a
  pocket. In a treasure box I have colored bears.
  There is a sign, "Today the teacher saw me...."
  and a set of bears that are the same colors as
  those in the box. Each color represents a desired
  behavior I want the children to learn, ie sitting
  quietly at circle, using my words to work things
  out, put my toys away, helped at clean up time.
  Then as I witness a child doing one of these
  behaviors they get to go to the treasure box and
  get the right color bear to put in the pocket.
  The parents then spend a few minutes at the end
  of the day with their child looking at the bears
  before putting them back in the box for use again
  the next day. It doesn't take long for the
  children to get the idea that they have to do
  these things in order for them to get the bears.
  It also helps with name and color recognition.
  It's a more positive approach to behavior
  management.

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Time to go home

• I teach 3, 4, and 5 year olds. We serve 30
  disabled children. Most of the children on my
  roll are autistic. I have a picture of every
  major transition on a card. The card is attached
  to another piece of poster board with Velcro. As
  I am finished with circle time, I pull that card
  and put it in the finished slot. After removing
  each card there is a picture of a school bus
  which begins to take shape. When the school bus
  is completely visible then the children know that
  it is time to go home. I also have the same type
  set-up for brushing teeth and going potty. It is
  wonderful for the autistic children to know what
  they are to do, how long it takes and then what
  they will do next. I recommend this to any person
  working with any type special needs child.

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Will your Star rise today?

• Instead of using "Time Out" all the time I got
  this idea from a friend and modified for my
  class. Every child has a star with their name on
  it. There are 7 levels on the board. Each star
  begins on the middle level each day. With the
  caption "Will your star rise today" There are 3
  levels up so when a child is "caught" being good
  I make a really big deal over moving their star
  to the next level. Caption on each level are 1.
  Looking Good 2. Getting Better 3. Your a Super
  Star For negative behavior I just quietly move
  their star down so as to not give the child so
  much attention for the behavior. They get 1st
  warning, 2nd warning, and then Time Out. Children
  who end on the Super Star level every day of the
  week will get a special refrigerator award. At
  the beginning of the year I use stars with the
  child's picture on it so they can recognize when
  their star has been moved. It works in my room. I
  have maybe only 1 time out a week if that. And
  most of the time they all end up a Super Star.

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Encouragement Circle

• Encouragement Circle- I teach preschool with a
  class of 15 mostly boys. Sit in a circle,
  teacher starts by rolling a ball of yarn to
  someone in the circle and then has to say one
  thing they like about that person. Then that
  person holds part of the yarn and rolls the other
  end to another until everyone has had a turn to
  roll the yarn. In the end you should have a web
  that connects everyone.

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Friendship Bench

• My co-teacher and I use a positive discipline
  approach method which fosters compromise and
  negotiation skills in children. We use a
  "friendship bench. When a dispute occurs, sit
  both children down together on the bench. "We can
  not get up until there is a solution." You may
  need to arbitrate initially-Then back away and
  let them problem-solve how they can make both
  friends feel better. If they can not come up with
  a solution, suggest some possible ideas for them.

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Transition Time
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If you have on green you know what I mean

• When I tell my class of three year and four
  year olds to do something such as line up, I
  always say," When I call you please get in line."
  I then recite the following rhyme that I made up
  If you have on red then you heard what I said
  (You heard me say get in line.) If you have on
  blue then you know what to do (You know to get in
  line.) If you have on black then your name must
  be Jack If you have on green then you know what I
  mean (I mean for you to get in line.) If you have
  on white then you know what's right. If you have
  on pink then you know what I think. (I think you
  should get in line.) If you have on gray then
  it's going to be a wonderful day! If you have on
  yellow then you're a nice fellow. If you have on
  brown then you'd better get down.
• This rhyme has really helped my class of
  three and four year olds learn their colors!

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Use your walking feet

• I've found that telling the children what
  they should do instead of what they shouldn't do
  brings the act of obedience along much easier for
  the children. For instance, use words like this
  to teach your children.... "use your walking
  feet." instead of "Don't run." "Use your inside
  voices." Instead of "Stop screaming" and "Keep
  your feet on the floor." instead of "Don't climb
  on the couch." "Sit on the chair." instead of
  "Don't stand on the chair." "Run your truck on
  the floor." instead of "Don't run your truck on
  the table." The best rules tell children what
  they should do , rather then what they shouldn't
  do.

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Attention Getters
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Resources

• Resources
• Books
• Davis, Jean Q. Anger, Aggression, and
  Adolescents. New York Pantheon Books, 2004.
• Delfos, Martine F. Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, and
  Aggression in Childhood Guidelines for
  Diagnostics and Treatment. Herndon, VA Jessica
  Kingsley Publishers, 2003.
• Valkenburg, Pattie M. Children's Responses to the
  Screen A Media Psychological Approach. Mahwah,
  NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.
• Organizations
• Parents Leadership Institute. PO Box 1279, Palo
  Alto, CA 94302. Web site www.parentleaders.org.
• Web Sites
• "Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and
  Adolescents." American Academy of Child and
  Adolescent Psychiatry, March 2001. Available
  online at www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/beha
  vior.htm (accessed December 12, 2004).

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• The starting point of all
• achievement is desire.
• Weak desires bring weak results,
• just as a small amount of fire
• makes a small amount of heat.