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When a child is acting out his or her misbehavior patterns, recognizing the 4 Goals of Misbehavior can really help you to deal with the behavior in a more effective way. It helps to understand the 4 goals because it helps you to de-personalize the misbehavior as being a personal affront to YOU. The child would play out this misbehavior with anyone, you just happen to be there!
The next step in understanding Goals of Misbehavior involves the Personality Matrix.
The Personality Matrix divides behavior into 4 categories using two axis.
The third item examined is the Revenge driven Goal of Misbehavior and how it fits into this personality matrix.
Constructive Behavior | Destructive Behavior |
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| | Active
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| | Passive
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Constructive behavior is what we like in the classroom and at home. It is the behavior that complies with proper boundaries and respects other people, follows expectations and cooperates socially.
Destructive behavior is what we dislike. It is behavior that does not comply with proper boundaries, does not respect other people, does not follow expectations and fails to cooperate socially.
It can be annoying, because it is constantly pulling your attention way from what you want to do to what the child is wanting you to do.
Active on this matrix means that a child has a bold personality disposition. They have courage to act out their behavior. Active is neither constructive or destructive. It is simply courageous. This child's behavior tends to be "in your face" because they have so much courage.
Passive on this matrix means that a child has less courage and is more hidden in his or her personality disposition. The behaviors acted out by this child are quieter and less "in your face" often employing
"withholding" and quiet refusal.
The first thing to note about the child stuck in Revenge misbehavior is that there is no constructive form of it. It is not possible to hurt someone else or yourself in a constructive way. Misbehavior is now taking a serious downward turn. There are no constructive expressions of revenge behaviors - they are all destructive.
An Active/Destructive child who wants Revenge will do all of things we typically associate with a hurtful, unpredictable child. In school, this child will openly and directly hurt other people and destroy property. Remember, this child has a lot of courage and therefore will be openly hurtful and destructive in a way that is bold and brazen. This child is often explosive! Teachers often feel physically and emotionally threatened by this child, and rightly so! This child will kick, pinch, break and destroy things. Teachers feel trapped with this child in the classroom because they feel that the cumulative effect of this child' fluency in attention getting, power and now revenge is overwhelming to deal with and manage - and it can be! This child plays out his/her revenge behaviors by directing his or her anger toward others.
A Passive/Destructive child who wants Revenge will quietly go about hurting others or himself. This child lacks courage, so he or she will play out their revenge by imploding against himself. Instead of punching or kicking or destroying something openly, this child will steal from others, break things in a hidden way, hurt himself by cutting his arm or inflicting wounds on himself QUIETLY. This child is less explosive and more quiet and hidden in the way he hurts himself or others. Teachers often miss seeing this child's hurtful behaviors because they are so good at being passive until something happens that draws your attention to the results of his behaviors (i.e. bloody arm, stolen property, etc) This child causes a teacher to feel hurt themselves because your best efforts get returned with more hurtful behaviors. This child is in pain, has been hurt by others and yet he/she is unwilling to express the hurt openly. Instead he hides and withdraws and implodes on himself. It can feel overwhelming to get this child to improve their behavior and unlock himself from the drive to hurt others as he has been hurt himself.
Keep your eye out for revenge driven children in the classroom. Look for the difference between children who explode toward others and those who implode toward themselves. Use this matrix to help you understand what is happening in a more refined and specific way, so you are then positioned to respond to the misbehavior is a more refined and specific way!
The next blog will deal with Assumed Disability misbehavior applied to his matrix.
Remember...
Self disciplined children come from being in relationship with self-disciplined adults.
Lou
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