Children communicate their needs through their actions and words. When children feel that their needs are compromised they may act out in inappropriate ways. This can include sexual conduct, words, bullying, and mood and emotion issues. There are many ways to help children overcome these problems and behave in more socially acceptable ways.
Reasons
Most often children act out when they are seeking attention from parents, other caregivers or teachers. Often positive behaviors go unnoticed, so kids resort to inappropriate ones since they illicit a response. In addition, children suffering from ADHD, autism, low self-esteem and abuse may display problem behaviors. ADHD and autism are caused by an imbalance in the chemical make-up of the brain that contributes to the problem. Kids who feel badly about themselves often act out in order to possibly get needs met to make their self-esteem go up. Sexual or physical abuse can make a child act out in socially unacceptable ways as well.
Behavior Modification
Behavior modification refers to the idea that a child's behavior can be changed through several techniques. Reinforcement is one place to start. Positive reinforcement is a child being rewarded for good behavior, and negative reinforcement removes negative stimuli when the child engages in good behavior. Sticker charts are an example of positive reinforcement, and allowing a child out of her room is an example of negative reinforcement. Punishment works well in some cases as well. This can include loss of privileges. Modeling is a powerful modification technique, since it allows children to watch good behavior in action.
Therapy
In more extreme cases a child could benefit from therapy to help him resolve his issues with proper behavior. Children with developmental delays often benefit from therapeutic techniques. Other instances that could indicate the need for a therapist are a sudden drop in grades, changes in mood, bullying behavior or sudden physical complaints. Children who have recently suffered a loss, such as a death or divorce, can also act out inappropriately, and therapy can frequently treat the problem.
Support
Another vital part of treating behavior problems is support from family, teachers and other adults in charge of a child's care and upbringing. Adults who exhibit good self-control can teach children a strong lesson about their own control in tough situations. When children feel that their specific and immediate needs are being met, they are less likely to act out. A good way for adults to offer support is to set out expectations before the bad behavior occurs, if possible. Allowing children a measure of responsibility and showing patience are also important to treatment. All of these tactics combined teach children more acceptable and effective methods of communication.
Results
While no child is going to behave all the time, being consistent with expectations and consequences is important to getting good results. Continuous work is required, but over time parents and teachers will begin to notice that children are resorting to inappropriate behavior less and less.
