Who is this child?
Before we make judgements on a child and employ strategies, we must understand their background. There are many factors which can impact on a child's behaviour. If we understand these factors, we can provide more effective strategies to enhance their behaviour.
Family Factors:
There are many different family structures within Australia. These include:
Within these family structures, there are factors to be considered. This includes the diversity within families. For example:
How family structures can affect behaviour
There are many different family structures within Australia. These include:
- Single parent families
- Same-sex families
- Grandparent headed families
- Couples with dependent children
- Divorced families
- Foster families
Within these family structures, there are factors to be considered. This includes the diversity within families. For example:
- A couple who have dependent children may not both be the children’s biological parents – one may be a step-parent, or both may be guardians of the children
- There may be step-brothers and step-sisters living together
- Couples with adopted children
How family structures can affect behaviour
- Children may demonstrate regressive behavior in response to a divorce
- Sadness due to a change of living situations can lead to withdrawal
- Problems with anger are more prevalent in school-age children, who might feel overwhelmed, helpless and frustrated about the event that has transformed their world
- Children may experience stress related to some of the intense emotions they might experience in response to their living situation
- Self-esteem issues
- Frustration
- Attention seeking
Special Needs:
Other Factors:
- In 2009, four million people in Australia were reported as having a disability. Of all Australians with a disability in 2009, 290,000 (7.2%) were children aged 0-14 years.
- In 2009, autism and related disorders were the most commonly reported mental or behavioural disorder among children with a disability.
- There are 5 common difficulties children with disabilities face at school: learning difficulties, fitting in socially, communication difficulties, intellectual difficulties and difficulty sitting
- Often, behavioural problems arise in children with special needs due to frustration and communication problems
Other Factors:
- children who suffer from trauma are more likely to display behavioural problems
- children who suffer from neglect have a high chance of displaying behavioural problems
- children with low self-esteem often display behavioural problems, as a way to cover or hide their insecurities
Potential Functions of behaviour
- Seeking adult attention
- Seeking peer attention
- Seeking object, event or activity
- Avoiding instruction (due to task difficulty or task duration)
- Avoiding unpleasant social situations
