WHY ARE YOU
DOING THAT?
(The devil made me do it.)

    Part of resolving a problem situation is making sense of it. 

This page presents four views on how to figure out why a youngster is misbehaving.   The first model represents the views of Rudolph Dreikurs.  The second represents the views of behaviorists who advocate for the process and procedures of applied behavior analysis.  The third involves discussion with the student.  The fourth is a procedure known as "Functional Behavior Assessment".
 

VIEW #1  DREIKURS

     According to Rudolph Dreikurs, kids misbehave and seek "mistaken goals" when they do not have a sense of belonging or being valued.  There are ways to determine the function of/reason for a youngster's behavior.  The system below applies primarily to pre-adolescents.  Adolescents will often have other reasons for misbehaving (e.g., group influence, rebellion against authority, etc.) in addition to the ones listed below.  We should also keep in mind that some youngsters have not learned how to behave in the ways expected in schools.  Many low income, immigrant, and/or culturally different youngsters may have learned other "right ways" to behave in certain situations.  They may need to be taught the behaviors that you expect in your classroom (or you might have to change your ways to be more accepting of diversity and differences).
 

According to Dreikurs, kids can act up for a number of reasons.  Here's a little background before we offer solutions.

ATTENTION SEEKING
    Pesky, attention seeking behavior results when kids aren't getting the recognition they feel they deserve.  If they can't get attention for their positive behaviors (e.g., being on-task, completing work, arriving on time, being nice to others), they'll seek it with inappropriate behaviors.  They feel important if the teacher pays attention to them and provides them with extra services.  They may:
 -continually call out
 -refuse to work unless a teacher hovers over them
 -ask irrelevant questions

So be sure to "catch 'em being good".
 

  SEEKING POWER
    If attention seeking doesn't work, youngsters, out of spite, may try to make your professional life miserable.  They may:
 -argue
 -contradict
 -lie
 -refuse to work or follow directions
 -throw a temper tantrum
 -tell you to "go take a flying leap"
 -behave hostilely toward you

SEEKING REVENGE
    If attention or power seeking doesn't work, kids may seek revenge against you or others.  Their belief is that: "I can only feel significant if I hurt others.  I'm just doing what they've done to me.  I don't care if I'm disliked.  They deserve this behavior.  It is a victory to be disliked and to undergo punishment."  These kids may:
 -treat others cruelly
 -set themselves up to be punished
-engage in pranks or vandalism behind your back
 

DISPLAYING INADEQUACY 
    Underneath the bravado of seeking revenge is deep discouragement.  The rejection by others eventually makes them feel worthless.  They think: "Why even try anymore?"  They guard what is left of their self esteem by removing themselves from public and social tests. They think: "If I pretend to be stupid or refuse to cooperate, people will leave me alone."  They may:
 -passively refuse to participate in class activities
 -sit silently and engage in no interaction
 -request to be left alone
 
 

 1. Do things and conduct activities in a manner that will help the youngsters to develop a sense of belonging and esprit de corp, and a feeling of being valued by others in  your classroom/school.  Focus on developing a supportive team spirit in your classroom.
 

2. Identify the "mistaken goal"  by analyzing the situation in the following ways:

     If you are:                                                 The student is probably seeking:
       Annoyed                                                            Attention
          Threatened                                                 Power

          Hurt                                                                     Revenge

          Powerless                                                            Inadequacy
 
 

 If students:                                                   Then their probable goal is:

  Stop a behavior, but then repeat it.                         Attention
  Refuse to stop and increase the misbehavior.        Power
  Become violent or hostile.                                        Revenge
  Refuse to cooperate, participate, or interact           Inadequacy
 
 

3. Address the mistaken goal in a friendly, respectful, non threatening manner.  This course of action removes the power of the mistaken goal.  Try this approach using concerned, polite, non sarcastic wording and tone.

 -"Could it be that you'd like me to spend more time with you?" (attention)
 -"When you try to prove that nobody can make you do things if you don't want to
        do ‘em, is it possible that you're showing that you're upset with us?" (power)
 -"When you did that, were you trying to hurt me because you're angry with
        me? (revenge)
 -"When you pretend that you're not capable of doing this work, are you trying to
        make me go away?" (displaying inadequacy)
 

 4. Explain that experts know about this behavior, have studied it for generations and know of better ways for youngsters to get their needs met.  Discuss the faulty logic involved in the youngster's thinking/actions, and help him/her devise a plan to meet his/her needs in appropriate ways.

5. Change your actions when confronted by the various behaviors:

ATTENTION
-Provide the youngster with acceptable ways of gaining the attention that is sought.
     Role play those new ways to increase the chances of them being used.  Give
    signals/hints to prompt the behavior in the real life situations.
-Set up a plan with the youngster which allows him/her to earn time with you.
-Provide the youngster with supports (e.g., a peer who will help the youngster if
    academic difficulties occur)
-Remind the youngster of what must be done to get your attention (e.g., raise
    hand).  If this is not yet a usual behavior for the youngster, give your attention
    immediately to reinforce that correct behavior.  Verbally praise the youngster
    for displaying the appropriate behavior.  Wean the student from the immediate
    reaction on your part by telling him/her that you see his/her appropriate behavior
    and that you'll be there in just a minute (after attending to the other hand raisers
    first, or finishing the writing of a note, etc.)
 

 POWER
-Avoid power struggles.  Stay out of the "Conflict Cycle".  Prevent escalation of
    the event.  Seek solutions, not blame.
-Acknowledge the youngster's need for power.
-Involve the student in making decisions.
-Give responsibilities and positions of influence to the youngster.
- Use an "I message" followed by a question:
            -"I'm hearing some offensive language.  Would you be kind enough to
                    restate your opinion in more polite terms?"
           (Click here for more information and practice on "I messages")
 

 REVENGE SEEKING
-Design activities in which the student and others come to view each other
    positively.
-Bond with the youngster.  Give him/her the time of day.  Build a friendly
    relationship.
-Expect resistance to your efforts at first.  Persistence is required.
 

 DISPLAYING INADEQUACY
-Offer encouragement and support.
-Blame the lack of success on the curriculum, materials, or the way you taught the
    lesson, but do notblame the youngster.
-Set the youngster up for success and recognize his/her efforts.
-Have the student self evaluate what s/he did right and wrong and develop a plan
    for improvement (or have him/her redo the task well).  Assist as needed.
-NEVER show your frustration as this reaction may reinforce the sense of
    worthlessness.

VIEW #2  THE BEHAVIORISTS' A-B-C MODEL

    Those who advocate for "applied behavior analysis" would offer the following advice when trying to determine why a youngster demonstrates certain behaviors:  Identify the behavior of concern, defining and describing it.  Next, try to determine what event(s) happened right before that behavior.  Finally, note what happens as a result of the youngster's behavior.  With this information, you should be able to make a good guess at what brings about and maintains the youngster's behavior.  This information can also be used to modify or eliminate the behavior.

    The behaviorist paradigm for determining the "why" of a behavior is identified by the symbols  A, B,  and  C,  representing "Antecedent" (the stimulus that caused or "sparked" the behavior), "Behavior" (the student's action that followed the antecedent), and "Consequence" (the reward that followed the behavior).  Behaviorists believe that people show behaviors because they get some sort of reward for doing so (e.g., attention, power, recognition, money, release from assigned duties, physical pleasure, etc.).  In their minds, behaviors (your's, mine, and the kids') continue and become ingrained because those actions bring something desirable to us, or remove something undesirable from our midst.

    When dealing with student misbehavior, the trick is to figure out what is maintaining the behavior and then manipulate the environment so that behavior no longer receives that reward.

    If the behavior receives no reward, it will cease (after an initial escalation of the behavior in continued and intensified attempt to obtain a reward in the way that has worked previously).

    Another approach is to require a new behavior in order for the student to get the desired reward.  We ask the student to demonstrate a replacement behavior if he or she wishes to obtain the desired reinforcement.

    A third approach is to manipulate the situation so that the antecedent never occurs.  The behavior won't happen if there is no stimulus for it to occur.

    You see that you can change the A, B, or C (or combinations of them).

Example
    The teacher asks a question to the class (Antecedent).  Raheem yells out an answer (Behavior).  Teacher tells Raheem to raise his hand next time (as s/he always tells him to do), but accepts the answer and goes on with the lesson (Consequence - Raheem got to show how smart he was, beat out his competition...other kids, and even got a bit of personal interaction from the teacher during the lesson).

    In this situation, the teacher could eliminate the antecedent by calling on particular students (after the question is said, not before...or all the other students will let their minds wander).  The teacher might also change the consequence by ignoring the answer ("I only hear the answer of students who raise their hands and wait to be called upon.  I'm looking for a hand.") or penalizing "calling out" behavior (while praising the hand raising of other students).  The teacher might also work with Raheem to develop a new behavior to get the reward/reinforcement.  Each time Raheem raises his hand (whether he knows the answer or not, and whether he is called upon by the teacher or not) he gets a point.  Twenty points allows him to present information to the class tomorrow, or gives him five minutes of personal time with the teacher (allowing him to receive the desired rewards of appearing knowledgeable or gaining personal contact with the teacher).

VIEW #3 Dr. Mac's Compassionate Questioning

    Why don't we just ask the kid?  Easier said than done.  Remember back to when you have been questioned about personal issues by those you didn't know, didn't like, or didn't trust.  Were you be totally honest?  Did you avoid saying some things?  Did you mislead them?

    Certain conditions must be present if you are to gain useful information from youngsters:
1. The student has to like you, value your input, and trust that you will use the information in a caring way.
2. You must ask in a way that evidences concern, caring, and respect.  This is not an inquisition.  Really listen...don't give into an urge to lecture or badger.  Avoid making judgements.

    Certain practices will help the youngster to share his/her thoughts, view, and insights:
1. Active and non-directive listening (see the "non-directive counseling" link on the home page).
2. A systematic approach (see the "classroom counseling" link on the home page).
 
 

VIEW #4  Functional Behavior Assessment
 

CLICK HERE for the link that explains how to conduct a functional behavior assessment.

 

Pooch, I see you running alot.  Can you tell me why that is?

Fetch Dr. Mac's Home Page