Defining Disruptive Behavior

Discuss about the Understanding and Supporting Behavior.

The essay deal with the theory of Bulotsky-Shearer, Dominguez & Bell, (2012) who stated: “The evidence is unequivocal – children who have difficulty regulating their emotions, paying attention, initiating peer interactions and sustaining engagement in learning tasks are at risk for school difficulties.” Mental health problems are common during the development of children and adolescents (Quay & Hogan, 2013). A lack of mental wellbeing affects social interactions and hinders classroom learning. Effective classroom learning and high social connectedness are both critical to the success of students (Lin et al., 2016). In today’s society, the challenging behavior in school children is a matter of grave concern for teachers. There is an intense research conducted in this area by the cognitive scientists to develop interventions for the children. The essay defines and discusses the behavior based on the theory mentioned above and explains the social construct theory related to the behavior. Based on the quote, the essay identifies the behaviors displayed by the student in learning environment. Further, the long-term complications of such behavior are presented. The essay highlights the reason for these behaviors based on the ecological theory.

According to cognitive scientists, some children have difficulty regulating their emotions, their tempers flair at small provocations, find it difficult to stay on a task, build positive relations or learn a new concept (Wahler et al., 2013). These are the characteristics of disruptive behavior according to (Barkley, 2014). It can be defined as an undesirable behaviour that occurs naturally in early years of life but is considered to be pathological when continues at a later age (Carbonneau et al., 2016). This behavior also partly relates to “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD), mostly detected in school age children (Barkley, 2014). It is characterized by motor overactivity, poor ability to sustain mental efforts and attend to tasks and impulsiveness. In cognitive science, this refers to a quality of “self-regulation” (Ursache, Blair & Raver, 2012). Emotional and behavioral self-regulation is the growing ability in children to control their feelings and behaviour. Behaviour is a socio-cultural construct, which refers to the creation or establishment of notion regarding an object or an event that is adopted by the inhabitants of that society (Burr, 2015). On behaviour, a social construct refers to behaviors that are considered normal or natural by the society. Behavior that does not meet the prescribed societal norms is considered pathology according to the social construction theory. Therefore, disruptive behavior is considered genuine by some proponents of the social construct theory of ADHD, despite its over-diagnosis in some culture (Hilton et al., 2016).

The Social Construct Theory of Behavior

According to a theory of Bulotsky-Shearer, Dominguez & Bell, (2012) “The evidence is unequivocal – children who have difficulty regulating their emotions, paying attention, initiating peer interactions and sustaining engagement in learning tasks are at risk for school difficulties.” This theory explains the consequences of lack of self-regulation in learning environment. The external behavior displayed by students lacking self-regulation in learning environment includes fighting with peers, difficulty following adult’s directions, tantrums, and throwing self on the ground (Ursache et al., 2012). The internal behaviors of these children include anxiety, worry, sad, withdrawal from the social situation, and getting easily upset which significantly affect the learning process. These children have been found to exhibit poor reading and math proficiency as mentioned by Carbonneau et al., (2016). They are also at greater risk for persistent disobedience in school. They are preoccupied with worries that make it difficult for them to pay attention. They fear to start or finish work, for it may turn incorrect, and they restrict themselves from participating in educational activities (Racz et al., 2016). If such behaviour is not addressed at an early stage, it may have serious long-term complications such as increased absenteeism, leaving school without qualifications, mental health problems at adulthood, unemployment, family and relationships problems and loss of social connectedness (Wahler et al., 2013). Various studies have examined the issues of the child disruptive behavior and identified its causes.

In this essay, the ecological theory is used to formulate the reasons for the behaviors mentioned in the theory of Bulotsky-Shearer, Dominguez & Bell, (2012). American psychologist “Uri Bronfenbrenner” expounded ecological theory in his paper “Toward an Experimental Ecology of Human Development” (1977). According to the theory, the behaviour and development in children are the outcomes of the interaction between the child and the environment.  The environment is divided in to four different systems. Microsystem is the first system, an immediate setting in which a child survives that is school, home, parents and the various interactions occurring in it. The second system is named mesosystem, where a child interacts with the immediate and other settings. For example, the relationship between children, parents, and school. The third system is wider than the previous two systems and is called as exosystem, which refers to a setting that influences a child indirectly, for example, parent’s workplace. The last one is macrosystem, which refers to all the above systems including culture, lifestyle, and values.  Based on this four systems, the reasons for the behaviour discussed in the essay include poor parenting, peer pressure, poor teaching, poverty, teacher’s negative attitude towards students, and poor classroom facilities (Racz et al., 2016). According to Wahler et al., (2013) lack of love and affection at home, parental divorce, physical abuse in the home, may cause negative consequences. Therefore, a child may have failed to learn about the socially acceptable behaviors, resulting in-fighting and arguments with peers in class. They may seek attention by being disruptive in class. Misbehaviour in children also results due to the upbringing in a violent environment. Poor teaching at school may not generate interest in learning lessons.  Harsh disciplinary measures at school such as physical punishment for doing something wrong may provoke children to rebel against a teacher by avoiding and disturbing the class. Frequent change of subject teacher, repetition in the same class may cause a student to turn disruptive. Other factors include personal loss or trauma due to family breakdown and lack of playful environment at school that may have hampered psychological well-being of a child.

Chacko et al., (2015) described that disruptive behavioral problems in children are preventable and treatable. Detection and intervention of behavioral disorders in early life are beneficial in improving mental resilience. The mental health interventions must address the needs of the children and provide support to enhance student’s ability to control emotions, attention, and other cognitive processes. It will eventually lead to academic and social success. The academic achievement associated with self-regulation continues into the elementary school and middle school. As per Ursache, Blair, & Raver, (2012), the ability of self-regulation at emotional and behavioural level have intuitive usefulness and variety of positive outcomes in schooling. A child with good self-regulation has lower absenteeism in school, is physically healthy, demonstrate age appropriate functioning at a social and emotional level and have the positive attitude towards learning. Higher the child’s ability to self-regulate his/her behaviour, healthier is the relationship with friends and others (Duckworth & Carlson, 2013).

Disruptive children can benefit from tailored classroom interventions. It may include a provision of a class environment with teachers effective in addressing child’s needs and challenges, use of various methods of teaching to sustain student’s motivation and morale (Ursache, Blair & Raver, 2012). Schools should teach skills for solving social problems for an extended period. These skills may help resolve interpersonal conflicts, resist peer pressure, enhance thinking and provide more opportunities to learn in school. Parents and teachers should attend counseling sessions to learn about differences in children and support them as per their individual temperaments. Schools should incorporate the factor of play for behavioural engagement and positive academic development. The study executed by Racz et al., (2016) demonstrated that the quality of teacher and child relationship plays a crucial role in children’s behaviour. It helps make the classrooms more conducive to learning thus, benefiting both teachers and students. Parents should deliver more warmth and compassion to meet their child’s basic needs and help them in self-regulating behaviour by effective communication (Schmitt et al., 2015).

Conclusively, disruptive behaviour in children accelerates learning difficulties in school and diminishes social connectedness.  If such behaviour is not addressed at an early stage, it may have serious long-term complications such as leaving school without qualifications, mental health problems at adulthood, unemployment, family, and relationships problems and loss of social connectedness. Therefore, self-regulation is a major task for a young child. It is essential for children to learn self-regulation skills to focus attention, control emotions and manage behaviour. Effective teacher-child relationship is critical in children’s behaviour. Parents should be the role model for their children in adapting socially accepting behaviors. The mental health interventions must address the needs of the children and provide support to enhance student’s ability to control emotions, attention, and other cognitive processes. It will eventually lead to academic and social success. A child with good self-regulation has lower absenteeism in school, are physically healthy, demonstrate age appropriate functioning at a social and emotional level and have the positive attitude towards learning. It will eventually lead to academic and social success.

References

Barkley, R. A. (Ed.). (2014). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. Guilford Publications.

Bulotsky-Shearer, R. J., Dominguez, X., & Bell, E. R. (2012). Preschool classroom behavioral context and school readiness outcomes for low-income children: A multilevel examination of child-and classroom-level influences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 421.

Burr, V. (2015). Social constructionism. Routledge.

Carbonneau, R., Boivin, M., Brendgen, M., Nagin, D., & Tremblay, R. E. (2016). Comorbid development of disruptive behaviors from age 1½ to 5 years in a population birth-cohort and association with school adjustment in first grade. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 44(4), 677-690.

Chacko, A., Gopalan, G., Franco, L., Dean-Assael, K., Jackson, J., Marcus, S., … & McKay, M. (2015). Multiple Family Group Service Model for Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders Child Outcomes at Post-Treatment. Journal of emotional and behavioral disorders, 23(2), 67-77.

Duckworth, A. L., & Carlson, S. M. (2013). Self-regulation and school success. Self-regulation and autonomy: Social and developmental dimensions of human conduct, 40, 208.

Hilton, D. C., Jarrett, M. A., McDonald, K. L., & Ollendick, T. H. (2016). Attention Problems as a Mediator of the Relation between Executive Function and Social Problems in a Child and Adolescent Outpatient Sample. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1-12.

Lin, T. J., Justice, L. M., Paul, N., & Mashburn, A. J. (2016). Peer interaction in rural preschool classrooms: Contributions of children’s learning-related behaviors, language and literacy skills, and problem behaviors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 37, 106-117.

Quay, H. C., & Hogan, A. E. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of disruptive behavior disorders. Springer Science & Business Media.

Racz, S. J., O’Brennan, L. M., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2016). The Influence of Family and Teacher Factors on Early Disruptive School Behaviors A Latent Profile Transition Analysis. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 24(2), 67-81.

Schmitt, S. A., McClelland, M. M., Tominey, S. L., & Acock, A. C. (2015). Strengthening school readiness for Head Start children: Evaluation of a self-regulation intervention. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30, 20-31.

Ursache, A., Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2012). The promotion of self?regulation as a means of enhancing school readiness and early achievement in children at risk for school failure. Child Development Perspectives, 6(2), 122-128.

Wahler, R. G., House, A. E., & Stambaugh, E. E. (2013). Ecological Assessment of Child Problem Behavior: A Clinical Package for Home, School, and Institutional Settings: Pergamon General Psychology Series(Vol. 58). Elsevier.