The Sources of Inappropriate Behaviour

"Behaviour is our best effort at any given time and situation with the skills we have to obtain what we want"

The Sources of Inappropriate Behaviour

 Very simply when looking at behaviour, and in particular inappropriate behaviour we can identify 5 specific sources that are responsible for this beahviour. These five sources are Medical (medical factors), Emotional, Environmental, Organisational and Relationship. Unfortunately when attempting to address inappropriate behaviour most of us are extremely unskilled and even those with some training are really only equipped to address two of these sources, that being organisational and relationship sources, although it is possible for parents to influence the environmental/socio-economical or cultural source.

Generally teachers and parents are not equipped to diagnose medical conditions that may contribute to inappropriate behaviour, however they can assist in identifying traits of the behaviour that directly assist in its diagnosis.  Even for those parents who are medical practitioners it is suggested that they obtain further medical assistance so as to remove the emotional affects that can influence proper and full diagnosis.

Parents and teachers who commonly need t deal with childhood inappropriate behaviour are also lacking in the time and counselling skill required to address the emotional sources. This sources is often linked to Environmental sources particularly socio-economic and cultural.

Focusing upon ‘untouchable’ factors such as these amounts to a fruitless waste of time and energy. However, focus on the physical organisation (for teachers - the classroom, method of curriculum presentation, use of resources, class routines and procedures) and routines parents can begin to address and make progress towards influencing the child's behaviour. When looking at relationships (within the classroom student-student, teacher-student) and for parents within the family (supportive). Effort needs to be expended in planning for these latter factors as not only can they directly influence and control behaviour but they are also the sources we can control and influence. In addition, by doing so, we can have an indirect influence on the former three factors.

These sources are only part of the problem as for any behaviour issue there are two problems involved. One is that of the source mentioned earlier and the other is that of the actual behaviour problem. We need to be specific and acknowledge that he student actual owns the first, however we need to address both as we are the person who most desires behavioural change.

When a child behaves inappropriately, there is some motivating factor involved, stemming from one or more of the five source problems previously mentioned.  As this Source Problem is internal to the child themselves, they are the owner of it.  Ultimately, however, it will fall upon the parent/teacher to initiate some response to the Source Problem, as the child will either lack the skills or the desire to address the problem.  For the child’s behaviour to be deemed inappropriate, someone has made a judgement call regarding the behaviour in the first place.  When such a call is made, a Behaviour Problem comes into being.  No judgement call, no behaviour problem.  The ‘judge’, is generally the parent/teacher, and as the ‘keeper’ of the internal set of standards used to make the call, the parent/teacher is the owner of the behaviour problem, and is responsible for initiating some action to overcome the problem.

So it is important to realise what we can influence and control in respect to the behaviour of someone else. It is only through directing our strategies and methods at these sources can we make progress, whilst obtaining assistance from those trained in the other sources if that is what is identified.