If your child is experiencing behavior problems in school it could be a variety of reasons. Behavior problems include acting out in the classroom, being disrespectful of others' property and physically hurting other children or adults. Your first step should be to have your child evaluated by his family doctor to rule out a medical condition. Learning how to identify the causes of behavior problems at school will assist you with getting the help he needs.
Lack of Discipline
One common cause of behavior problems at school is a lack of child discipline at home. If your child has been raised to not know what his boundaries are, he may act out on other kids. Structured discipline involves teaching your child right from wrong and following through with actions for bad behaviors. The Ohio State University website states that effective discipline involves establishing house rules for kids to abide by, following through with your demands, instilling a firm voice, being consistent, setting expectations and retaining authority over your child. A child who is undisciplined may be unruly at school and not follow rules. He may also feel he can get away with not doing his homework or destroying others' property because he feels there will be no ramifications to his actions.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a disorder where someone has difficulty remaining focused and controlling her behavior, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. A child who has been diagnosed with ADHD by a school psychologist or medical professional may exhibit signs of behavior problems at school. One of the ADHD subtypes is hyperactive-impulsive. This can cause a student to carry out actions that are unacceptable in public and at school such as belligerence, taunting other classmates, yelling back at the teacher, disrespecting school staff and acting on impulse without thinking of the consequences.
Behavior Disorder
There is several variations of behavioral disorders, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Many of these disorders start off with a child not following the rules, throwing temper tantrums and showing aggressive behavior toward classmates. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry explains that conduct disorder involves a child who has aggression toward people and animals, initiates physical fights, bullies students, deliberately destroys school property or uses a weapon to threaten students and teachers. Meeting with your child's teacher and school psychologist may help you get an insight to how your child behaves at school.
