Behavioural disorders in children Illustration: Archive of Acad. mal. Veronika Lučeničová Gabčová PhD.

“After all, life itself and its most negative phenomena, such as disease, suffering, and humiliation, are contained within it.” (P. Strauss).

INTRODUCTION

A hallmark of every developed society is the natural occurrence of various socio-pathological phenomena. The intensifying educational and social problems of our youth disrupt the effectiveness of teachers’ and educators’ pedagogical influence. In work with children with behavioural disorders, it is necessary to consider that all activities aimed at solving socio-conflict situations must be appropriately planned in advance so that a positive effect of intervention can be achieved.

Even dealing with behavioural disorders primarily among the younger generation is a demanding task, as it requires much patient effort and willingness to help from professionals, psychologists, and special educators involved in their upbringing. Ultimately, it is necessary to inhibit negative effects and stimulate highly positive influences from the sociocultural environment. In the elimination of behaviour disorders, specialists can, through effective cooperation, ensure prevention of youth recidivism, and with various forms of training can guide youth toward more meaningful activities.

DEFINITION AND CATEGORIZATION OF BEHAVIOURAL DISORDERS

Every individual in our society appears and behaves in a particular way. Human behaviour can be characterized as a way of expressing oneself toward other people. The expression of each of us differs in attitudes, gestures, communication style, and body language not only toward other members of the social system but also toward oneself. Behaviour can be simply defined as the response of an organism to immediate changes in its environment, in which each person adapts to present or future conditions.

According to Kafko (2015), differences in children’s behaviour occur when they act in a safe environment and intentionally apply their reason as well as their intelligence, and in situations when they feel threatened, they behave involuntarily.

Gajdošová and colleagues (2011) state that every person living on our planet, including children, has human dignity, dignity, and corresponding rights. Every child needs, due to their vulnerability, emotionally stable support and understanding from adults. For healthy child development it is necessary to ensure their holistic development and eliminate risk factors of socio-pathological phenomena. (Gajdošová and colleagues, 2011).

From a psychological perspective, children’s behavioural disorders are defined as categorization of disorders of will, instincts, drives, as well as the very form of acting toward other members of society. In children, individuality must be respected despite their inappropriate behaviour and they should be protected against any form of discrimination.

From Labáth’s (2001) statement it follows that children’s and youth behavioural disorders are described in the professional literature as disocial and excessively aggressive behaviour that disrupts society’s social expectations. Defiant behaviour inappropriate to the child’s age and circumstances is not of a lasting character. Youthful rebellion and behavioural disorders classified as a diagnostic category differ from ordinary disciplinary disruption in that they must be of a more enduring nature and for a duration of at least six months they disrupt children’s behavioural variability in relation to established social rules and norms. (Kolibáš, 1996).

From this it follows that, in cases where children violate established social patterns of behaviour and endanger other members of our surrounding society, they are seeking an exit from a difficult life situation caused by children’s emotional depletion and their emotional lability.

Behavioural disorders in children and youth can be categorized as those conditioned by the child’s mental state and family environment. In difficult-to-handle situations, children often cry out helplessly for help and seek any satisfaction of their needs. Behavioural disorders caused by disharmony in child development can result in schizophrenia and various types of depressive anxieties. (Krejčírová, 1997). “To understand a child’s behaviour, we must take into account the whole context in which the behaviour occurs.” In the education and upbringing of our youth it is important to assign meaning and purpose to a child’s activity and motivate them toward success. (Dreikurs, Grey, 2004).

According to Kafko, behavioural disorders are divided as follows:

  • Primary – initial disorders such as age-related behaviour disorders of children and youth (speech disorders, school abilities disorders, and emotional disorders), disorders of mental-level action, and integrative disorders.
  • Secondary – derived from the primary primary disorders.
  • Interpersonal – personality disorders of the individual.
  • Extrapersonal – caused by the influence of the surrounding environment. (Kafka, 2015).

The author Gajdošová in her publication presents a more detailed classification of children’s behaviour disorders according to ICD-10:

  • Socialized – according to the author, the child has stable and appropriate emotional bonds with other family members and those outside the family.
  • Non-socialized – in this case the child has superficial relational bonds with all individuals of our social system. According to the author’s observation, deeper relationships are absent in children.
  • Aggressive forms – these include bullying and violent behaviour toward others.
  • Non-aggressive forms – the author includes, for example, truancy, lies, and even minor thefts. (Gajdošová, 2007).

From these expert findings it can be stated that in most of our schools, situations arising as a result of inappropriate child behaviour are present. It is necessary to eliminate and reduce their impact on others through intensive efforts of educational counsellors, therapeutic and clinical educators, as well as psychologists. Especially for children with behavioural and attention disorders, professional cooperation in schools is essential.

BEHAVIOURAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN

In recent times, problems related to children’s antisocial behaviour are increasing in our schools. In our society, material values are increasingly being recognised, and due to parents’ busyness and adults’ lack of interest, negative and socio-pathological phenomena of children are becoming a kind of natural part of our lives.

In our consumer society, value orientation is changing and interest of youth in habits and traditions is declining. Our postmodern society offers our youth sufficient space for the consumption of alcohol, intoxicants, and in an increased degree, also for violent attacks. In family environments, tension is felt and emotional stability is fading. Recently, divorce rates are rising, which exerts pressure on offspring. (Bradová, 2011).

The etiological delimitation of behavioural disorders is multifaceted and arises due to a combination of several factors. Intense development of behavioural disorders is caused by:

  • Personality-related causes

– disposition factors, such as temperament, impulsivity, anxious experiences of tension, worries, fear, irritability to stimuli,
- Psychological causes
– an inappropriate social environment in which the child is currently situated,
- Social causes
– negative influence of peer groups, imitation of violent and even aggressive behaviour, antisocial behaviour of children and youth arising from a lack of privacy, especially in large housing estates in cities,
- Family-environment causes
– children do not have a moral model in parents; in incomplete and dysfunctional families they are victimized. (Gajdošová and colleagues, 2011).

Among the factors causing problem behaviour in children are the following:

  • Internal factors

– aspects of the nervous system, congenital predispositions, illnesses, injuries, disruption of cognitive functions, disproportions in intellectual abilities,
- External factors
– inappropriate family upbringing, poor social habits, divorce, criminality, death of parents, alcohol in the family, bullying, disrupted social relationships among peers, etc. (Slovíková, 2015).

From professional knowledge it follows that the causes of behavioural disorders are diverse and have a negative impact on the individual’s adaptation to the social system. From a pedagogical perspective, behavioural disorders can be characterized as maladaptive behaviour of a pupil in the school environment, having an etiologically broad spectrum of comparatively lasting character. Social maladjustment in pupils cannot be managed with ordinary educational-pedagogical approaches; rather, it requires individualized pedagogical care. By their inappropriate behaviour, pupils can negatively determine relationships in the classroom, where problems with discipline and intentional violation of rules can escalate.

FORMS OF PREVENTION OF SOCIO-PATHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

On the basis of professional cooperation, various preventive programs are implemented in schools for the elimination of pathological and deviant pupil behaviour. The most common forms used are professional lectures, talks, experiential teaching, current bulletin boards on selected issues, and mass-media promotion in field settings.

As the most frequently used forms of preventing inappropriate socio-pathological behaviour of pupils, schools are advised to use special teaching approaches, carry out preventive activity within extracurricular activities such as cooperation with the police force, courts, and the like, specific programmes for education toward a healthy lifestyle, programmes intended to deepen and support mutual trusting relationships, creation of a positive creative environment, cooperation with psychological prevention centres, demonstrative use of teaching aids and computing devices, demonstrative ICT agitation, active cooperation with the prevention coordinator, self-governing and active activity of all pupils, creation of a psychologically positive school climate, and cooperation of school with family. (Hroncová, Emmerová, 2010).

Among the highest-risk areas of support for pupils, Bradová (2011) mentions the following:

  • creating a creative and safe school environment that develops in pupils a sense of belonging to the social group,
  • developing social competences through which pupils can work with their emotions and overcome problematic tasks,
  • positive motivation toward appropriate behaviour, which will ensure observance of prescribed patterns and behaviour norms at school,
  • support of active learning that prevents a pupil’s failure in school performance. Even less successful pupils can, through individualized approach, overcome their limits and adopt effective strategies of independent creative learning.

It can be stated that in most high-quality school institutions today, active intervention programs promoting a healthy lifestyle of our future generation are currently underway. Among the most commonly used preventive programs are, for example, “Nenič vedome svoje telo”, “Cesta k emocionálnej vyspelosti,” and “Škola podporujúca zdravý životný štýl,” among others. Due to the success of such programs, it is necessary that schools also implement preventive programs in the area of primary prevention of socio-pathological phenomena of society. In schools, clear rules of mutual cooperation with parents, teachers, educational counsellors and school professional staff must be established.

THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE PREVENTION OF SOCIO-PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR

The school is a social institution ensuring the comprehensive development of the personality of every pupil within the fulfillment of its educational and socializing mission. The school institution is for the pupil an environment where not only personality is formed but also where close relationships and friendships are formed with peers.

Matoušek and Kroftová (1998) claim that a modern and high-quality school is an environment where teachers are interested in the development of every pupil, including those with problems. Obdržálek (2002) states that schools should comprehensively develop all pupils and shape their personalities in a complementary way.

Despite the efforts of school institutions, during pupil education undesirable phenomena occur that in a high degree negatively influence the socialization process of pupils. Hroncová (2000), in this context, states that paradoxically, the pitfalls of social groups in school create behavioural deviations in pupils. In work with pupils who have behavioural disorders, Kariková (2007) recommends individual assessment of the offence, and if an intervention by the teacher fails, the teacher must, according to her statement, refer the situation to a psychological professional.

Bakošová argues that in cases of inappropriate pupil behaviour in school, strict rules must be in place; strategic steps should be oriented toward prevention and the method of discussion should be used to address inappropriate pupil behaviour. (Bakošová, 2011). According to Višňovský, Kačáni (2007), the class teacher plays a major role in work with pupils with problematic behaviour, as they can deal daily with educational problems of their pupils related to indiscipline, absenteeism, thefts, bullying, and truancy.

Each school should have prepared proactive steps on how to approach pupils in cases of truancy and regularly monitor their attendance at school. Within a positive approach, teachers should support problem pupils in learning, as well as in their emotional depression resulting from school failures. Within creative activity, it is necessary to provide pupils with help in increasing their healthy self-esteem.

CONCLUSION

Behavioural disorders of children and youth must be understood comprehensively in close relation to their developmental maturity, current life situation, family background, and current health condition in which they are currently located. In everyday life, we encounter various forms of pathological behaviour in the form of aggression, bullying, as well as theft. Any inappropriate reactions of children and youth may be manifested in situations triggered by different causes, and on the contrary, tense situations in many cases reflect different expressions of their disturbed behaviour. Problematic individuals who behave in this way cannot respect basic human principles and social norms.

Behavioural disorders of children in the school environment are etiologically diverse and their emergence is influenced by a range of internal and external factors from the family environment, peer groups of friends, and the wider surrounding environment. A non-supportive family environment causes great pressure on a child, who as a result of emotional deprivation cannot socialize into society in individual life stages.

Children with behavioural disorders often come from broken and incomplete families, as problematic individuals suffer from a lack of positive role models. In our society, there is a visible increase in children with problematic behaviour even in materially secured families, where understanding is missing and upbringing is focused purely on material provision of the family. Even these children lack a positive model of parental authority and love from adults. Children experiencing emotional deprivation resort to problematic peer groups, where they enact their unmet needs in a negative way.

Authors: PhDr. Tímea Csikósová, DiS doc. PhDr. Nataša Bujdová, PhD. References

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