Common behavioral problems in children can be classified into habit disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosocial disorders, disruptive behaviors and sleeping disorders. Psychosocial disorders manifest as a disturbance in emotions, physical function, and mental performance. Tension reducing habits include thumb sucking, head banging, hair pulling, etc. Children with these problems react aggressively towards others, physically abuse others, destroy others property intentionally, show no concern for feelings of others, etc. These children should stay in an environment with enough safe play areas, no noise, safe housing, and good indoor air quality. There should be no physical and biological agents that will influence their health e.g. radiation, ultraviolet radiation, fungi, bacteria, etc.
As a teacher, I would recommend prevention and treatment techniques to reduce these behavioral problems. Prevention addresses the onset of the disorder while treatment will reduce the severity of the disorder. There are clinical benefits in applying neurotherapy and nutritional supplementation in behavioral problems where appropriate. I would also apply child training which involves teaching the boys new skills to facilitate their growth, adaptive functioning and development. Teaching the boys problem solving skills, self control and development of prosocial rather than antisocial behaviors is also away to reduce these problems.
Another technique to prevent these problems is family intervention. Most children with behavior disorders have parents who fail in their roles as parents. I would recommend programs on parent training; this will increase parenting skills, they will be able to manage their children’s behavior and effective communication. Another way to prevent behavior problems is to have school based programs. This focus on encouraging the development of the child in cognitive process and in decision making. These programs also teach children ways of increasing physiological awareness and skills of solving interpersonal problems. Community programs are other way of preventing these problems by being helpful in reducing the incidence and prevalence of these behaviors.
References
1. Martine F. Delfos. (2004). Children and Behavioral Problems – Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
