Adele McSorley
In this essay I will define challenging behaviour, describe four different forms and discuss how psychological theories help understand individuals behaviours. For the purpose of this report I have renamed services users in line with the Data Protection act 1998 to ensure that they have complete anonymity.
Challenging behaviour can be used to describe ‘problem behaviour’, or ‘socially unacceptable behaviour’. The term challenging behaviour reflects the fact that some of the behaviours are a challenge to professionals, teachers, carers as well as parents. It has been defined as “Behaviour of such intensity, frequency and duration that the physical safety of the person or others is likely to be placed in serious jeopardy …show more content…
beliefs) about human behaviour and the way individuals function. The behaviourist theory believes that people are controlled by their environment and that they are the result of what they have learned from their environment, particularly family life. Theorist Albert Bandura 1977 believed that “behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.” (Bandura 1977). This theory helps me and other staff members understand Sarah’s behaviour, as mentioned before Sarah is alcohol dependant. Sarah’s home life as a child was majorly chaotic. Both Sarah’s parents have had alcohol addictions since before she was born. Sarah has seen this as a normality through all of her childhood and her life is almost mirror image to her …show more content…
For example in my placement James who I have mentioned previously, grew up in a home where both parents deemed him as a naughty child and he was put in his room for the majority of the time. His parents suffered from social isolation due to his mother’s disability. They never had any friends within the community and never actively participated with any activities with James. James’s parents didn’t allow him to have a “normal” childhood, he wasn’t allowed out to play or have friends over. James’s only form of communication was through his school life ie teachers and other pupils. This then led to James been hyperactive in school, he would make the other children laugh when they shouldn’t. James behaviour reflected what he wasn’t receiving at home. James was brought up in a household where his parents also used his diagnosis to financially abuse him up until the age of 22. They didn’t care or comfort him, money was there priority. James behaviour is deemed as challenging through his diagnosis however James is always trying to seek attention from anyone, this can be workers/ strangers / friends. He has always got to be in control of every situation. He goes in and out of his room/building at least 30 times a day. I believe he has adapted his behaviour to this so he can be confined like he previously was. If James wasn’t brought up in an environment like this I believe his outcome