Challenging behaviour
Encyclopedia
Challenging behaviour is defined as "culturally abnormal behaviour(s) of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety
of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities".
Challenging behaviour is most often exhibited by people with developmental disabilities, dementia
, psychosis
and by children, although such behaviours can be displayed by any person.
(such as public masturbation or groping), behaviour directed at property
(such as throwing objects and stealing) and stereotyped behaviours (such as repetitive rocking or echolalia
).
Experience and research suggests that what professionals call "challenging behaviour" is often a reaction to the challenging environments that services or others create around people with developmental disabilities, and a method of communicating dissatisfaction with the failure of services or others to listen for what kind of life makes most sense to the person, especially where services or others create lifestyles and relationships that are centred on what suits them or the service and its staff rather than what suits the person.
A common principle in behaviour management is looking for the message an individual is communicating through their challenging behaviour: "All behaviour has meaning". This is a core in the functional analysis
process.
Children communicate through their behaviour, especially those who have not acquired language and vocabulary skills to tell the adult what the problem is.
Analysis of this cycle provides a foundation for using a variety of strategies to minimise the triggers of challenging behaviour, teach more appropriate behaviours in response to these triggers, or provide consequences to the challenging behaviour that will encourage a more appropriate response. Behavioural strategies such as Applied Behaviour Analysis, operant conditioning
and positive behaviour support use similar approaches to analysing and responding to challenging behaviours.
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities".
Challenging behaviour is most often exhibited by people with developmental disabilities, dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
, psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
and by children, although such behaviours can be displayed by any person.
Types of challenging behaviour
Common types of challenging behaviour include self-injurious behaviour (such as hitting, headbutting, biting), aggressive behaviour (such as hitting others, screaming, spitting, kicking), inappropriate sexualised behaviourHuman sexual behavior
Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...
(such as public masturbation or groping), behaviour directed at property
Property damage
Property damage is damage to or the destruction of public or private property, caused either by a person who is not its owner or by natural phenomena. Property damage caused by persons is generally categorized by its cause: neglect , and intentional damage...
(such as throwing objects and stealing) and stereotyped behaviours (such as repetitive rocking or echolalia
Echolalia
Echolalia is the automatic repetition of vocalizations made by another person. It is closely related to echopraxia, the automatic repetition of movements made by another person....
).
Causes of challenging behaviour
Challenging behaviour may be caused by a number of factors, including biological (pain, medication, the need for sensory stimulation), social (boredom, seeking social interaction, the need for an element of control, lack of knowledge of community norms, insensitivity of staff and services to the person's wishes and needs), environmental (physical aspects such as noise and lighting, or gaining access to preferred objects or activities), psychological (feeling excluded, lonely, devalued, labelled, disempowered, living up to people's negative expectations) or simply a means of communication. A lot of the time, challenging behaviour is learned and brings rewards and it is very often possible to teach people new behaviours to achieve the same aims. Behaviour analysts have focused on a developmental model of challenging behaviour.Experience and research suggests that what professionals call "challenging behaviour" is often a reaction to the challenging environments that services or others create around people with developmental disabilities, and a method of communicating dissatisfaction with the failure of services or others to listen for what kind of life makes most sense to the person, especially where services or others create lifestyles and relationships that are centred on what suits them or the service and its staff rather than what suits the person.
A common principle in behaviour management is looking for the message an individual is communicating through their challenging behaviour: "All behaviour has meaning". This is a core in the functional analysis
Functional analysis (psychology)
Functional analysis in behavioral psychology is the application of the laws of operant conditioning to establish the relationships between stimuli and responses...
process.
Children communicate through their behaviour, especially those who have not acquired language and vocabulary skills to tell the adult what the problem is.
Behaviour response cycle
Challenging behaviours may be viewed as occurring in a cycle:- Trigger
- Escalation
- Crisis
- Recovery
Analysis of this cycle provides a foundation for using a variety of strategies to minimise the triggers of challenging behaviour, teach more appropriate behaviours in response to these triggers, or provide consequences to the challenging behaviour that will encourage a more appropriate response. Behavioural strategies such as Applied Behaviour Analysis, operant conditioning
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a form of psychological learning during which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus...
and positive behaviour support use similar approaches to analysing and responding to challenging behaviours.
See also
- Applied Behaviour Analysis
- Conduct disorderConduct disorderConduct disorder is psychological disorder diagnosed in childhood that presents itself through a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms are violated...
- Operant conditioningOperant conditioningOperant conditioning is a form of psychological learning during which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus...
- Positive behaviour support
External links
- Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior Raise the awareness and implementation of positive, evidence-based practices in managing challenging behaviours
- Behaviour Support Services: Children and Young Adults with learning disabilities
- Challenging Behaviour specifically related to individuals with severe learning disabilities The Challenging Behaviour Foundation supporting careers and professionals
- Support and Training for group and individuals dealing with behavioural issues