Addressing Aggressive Behaviors Chapter Nine Addressing Aggressive Behaviors

OBJECTIVES Offer four reasons why students engage in aggression. Conduct a functional analysis of aggressive behavior. Identify alternatives to verbal confrontations with students. Assess observable events or skill deficits that contribute to aggression (i.e., prosocial value deficits, cognitive and academic skill deficits, arousal-heightening interpretation of external stimuli, heightened affective arousal, ineffective communication, and mismanagement of contingencies).

Functional Behavioral Assessment of Aggression It is better to prevent aggression in the first place than to try to “manage” aggression after it takes place. To prevent aggression, we must be able to predict it. Aggression is not “one-size fits all.” Review the “After-the-fact” ABC form

Functional Behavioral Assessments Must include an interview with the student “What kinds of things bothered you in your last school? We want to avoid those situations, but we need for you to tell us about them.” “What ‘sets you off’ or makes you mad? We can help you with your anger, but we first need to know when it is happening”

Verbal De-escalation

1. Misbehavior or Mother Nature 1.Misbehavior or Mother Nature? The misbehavior may be part of a normal developmental phase. Respond to benign teasing by poking fun at yourself whenever possible. This lessens the tension and models a healthy sense of humor.

Pick your battles. Calmly turn down the invitation to do verbal battle by engaging in another topic or activity.

Later! Suggest a later, private conference to the student who tries to create a public scene.

The last word can be lethal. Let the student have the last word whenever possible. You can address the behavior later in private.

5. “Can you hear me now?” Listen. Whenever possible, engage in calm, active listening and let the student vent a little.

Sarcasm isn’t funny. Never use sarcasm with a student at risk for aggression.

7. Let the student save face.

8. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

9. Set limits, but avoid ultimatums.

10. Take charge of yourself..

The paperclip strategy Get a handful of paperclips. Count them. Put them in one pocket at the beginning of the day/shift/period. As you catch yourself engaging in coercive talk or action, move a paperclip to the other pocket. Count the paperclips you moved at the end of the time period. Tomorrow, try to have fewer! Try doing this with a partner—it’s more fun.

Figure 9–3 Let’s review a social skills lesson for middle school students who became angry when they received feedback on their schoolwork.

Peer harassment includes verbal and sexual harassment and bullying. warrants both targeted and intensive interventions. left unchecked, even verbal harassment can lead to serious psychological affects.

Successful peer harassment programs have relied on these components: Assessment of unsafe and potentially unsafe situations, through student and staff interviews or surveys ______________________

Targeted Interventions for Students at Risk for Aggression Let’s review Table 9-1, Characteristics Of Students Who Exhibit Aggression together.

Characteristics of Students Who Require Intensive Interventions for Aggression Arousal-Heightening Interpretation of External Stimuli Heightened Affective Arousal Ineffective Communications/Social Skills Mismanaged Contingencies Prosocial Value Deficits Cognitive and Academic Skill Deficits

Intensive Strategies for Arousal-Heightening Interpretation of External Stimuli An event triggers anger and self-statements that arouse anger. For example, “This teacher is frowning at me. She probably hates me anyway, so I might as well make trouble for her.”

Arousal-heightening interpretation of external stimuli Anger-management training, so the student can identify events that “set him off.” Self-instruction on coping statements and self-evaluation of behaviors. Teaching students to read accurately others’ social cues. Teach self-reflection. Adapted from information contained in Keller & Tapasak, 2004.

Intensive Strategies for Heightened Affective Arousal Teaching students to monitor their own emotional reactions You’ll need the case study on “The Anger Thermometer.” Read this case and discuss it with a partner.

Intensive Strategies for Ineffective Communications and Social Skills

Ineffective communication Students may lack the communication skills to negotiate a resolution, express a complaint, or share feelings. Conflict resolution training Social skills training Problem-solving skills training Behavioral contracting Adapted from information contained in Keller & Tapasak (2004)

Intensive Strategies for Addressing Mismanagement of Contingencies Aggressive behaviors are being reinforced; alternatives are being punished or extinguished. For example, bullies escape consequences for their behavior, so they continue their intimidation of others. Functional behavior assessment to determine what motivates the behavior Contingency management strategies such as token economy, contracting, time out from reinforcement, Good Behavior Game. Use response cost or fine for aggressive acts as well as for behaviors that predict aggression.

Intensive Strategies for Prosocial Values Deficits The student has the skills and self-control to manage his anger but chooses not to. Prosocial values training and/or Problem-solving interventions, combined with other interventions to promote generalization and maintenance

Intensive Strategies for Cognitive and Academic Skill Deficits Student is struggling with school curriculum, or student is not responding to interventions because of academic or cognitive difficulties. Assessment of student’s cognitive and academic skills. Adapting classroom instruction. Adapting the intervention (e.g., check readability of a role-play script).

Cultural Sensitivity “Teachers must be careful to respect the child’s culture, even if it is necessary to teach a skill that is contrary to the behaviors in which the child has been socialized. . . In teaching non-aggressive alternatives to conflict, teachers need to acknowledge an understanding of the parents’ lessons but point out the need for the students to learn alternative skills to be successful in school. Under these circumstances, teachers would be wise to communicate these school-based skills to the families and try to engage the parents in reinforcing these social skills. At the same time, teachers need to assure parents that they will take every precaution to make certain their children are safe at school (Cartledge, Singh, & Gibson, 2008, p. 33).

Review Consider the case of Terylyn What concepts about anger and aggression fit this case? What interventions would you suggest?

Crisis Interventions Understanding Behavioral Escalation If you understand how behavior escalates, you can map out your own responses in a crisis situation. Review Table 9–5 and discuss what to do at each stage.