The Nature of Behavior and the Guidance Councilor

Behavior of any kind is the result of variety of influences upon a person during his years of
development. His conduct is his way of reacting to the influences and experiences, and it
denotes an attempt to make satisfactory adjustments. A persons behavior is to a degree a
reflection of his attitudes and values, and it provides the mechanism for self-fulfillment and the
realization of ambitions.

Some kinds of behavior actually thwart ones progress rather than aid it. however, the same
behavior might serve as an adjustment mechanism for the individual. An aim of the guidance
service is helping to prevent frustrations of appropriately coping with them, and helping each
child make the maximum use of his energies and potentialities to adjust better despite
frustrations.

The school has a great influence on the life of a child and either contribute to his emotional
well-being through appropriate experiences and helpful guidance or add to his frustrations and
maladjustment. The school can, through its preoccupation with a variety of problems, easily
overlook the plaintive plea of the child who needs help but lack the maturity either to demand it
or to know how to use it when it is provided.

The frustration of an existence in which individuality is sacrificed on the altar of mass

conformity is communicated to children, who may act on their uneasiness in the classroom.

Some conformity is indeed essential to the proper management of the classroom, and children
welcome limits which aid them in keeping their feelings and conduct under control. Some
flexibility is also desirable, to permit individual expression and the release of emotional tension.
The causes underlying misbehavior may include either an absence of logical limits or a rigid,
highly restrictive environment which invite rebellion.

Maezelle Ann Bernabe

Kinds and Causes of Misbehavior

Kinds of Behavior Problems

The Overly Aggressive Child
The overly aggressive child's conduct is extreme. It is an disharmony with the child's personality
and a source of concern to the school.

Symptoms:
1. Breaking, tearing or destroying property;
2. Causing unnecessary and excessive disturbances;
3. Attacking other children;
4. Interrupting others in a loud, boisterous voice;
5. Resisting authority; and
6. Expressing a quarrelsome attitude.

Causes:
1. General feelings of insecurity stemming from and inadequate home, school failure, or lack of
acceptance by other pupils.
2. Fear of failure or of displeasing parents or teachers.
3. Lack of attention, love, and consideration by parents and other adults.
 4. Rigid, demanding, disciplinary controls or inconsistencies in disciplinary measures.
5. An absence of controls with too much responsibility placed on the child for the management
of his conduct.

Approaches/Treatment
1. Bolstering his self-esteem through showing his special attention and by complementing him
on his work.
2. Providing experiences through which he he can achieve and gain recognition.
3. Increasing his opportunities for physical activity where hostile feelings may be dissipated.
4. Showing him personal attention and interest and encouraging him as he shows progress.
5. Being friendly, relaxed and patient, displaying a sense of humor as well as a sincere interest
in his welfare.
6. Providing for group counseling or discussion sessions in which problems and feelings may be
aired.
7. Promoting positive feelings and an attitude of good fellowship.
8. Minimizing the need for a youngster to find it necessary to depend to himself.

The Child Who Bullies

The bully may be regarded as overly aggressive. However, aggression manifests itself in a
number of ways, not all of which are necessarily of the bullying type. A child may be unduly
aggressive and still not bully other children.

Symptoms
The youngster who bullies others may be observed as follows:
1. Attacking other children, generally smaller than himself, by pushing, tripping, or hitting and
annoying others in a variety of ways.
2. Engaging in verbal attacks by calling names, poking fun, criticizing and arguing.
3. Expressing belligerence and defensiveness in a loud, boisterous, agitated voice.

Causes:
1. Deprivation of the psychological needs of love and attention or inadequacies in fulfilling his
physical needs.
2. A strong need for identification with another person, resulting in his identifying with someone
whose behavior is inappropriate as a model.
3. An aggressive,domineering, demanding teacher whose unrealistic expectations bring
frustration and anxiety to the student.
4. Undesirable home conditions, which may include financial problems, low educational and
social status, and lack of parental supervision.
5. Lack of friends, inadequate social skills, and lack of ability to interact favorably with peers.
6. A bullying family member, teacher or peer who creates a situation in which the child feels the
need to get even.
7. Academic failures which bring frustration, anger and an attitude of futility.

Approaches/Treatment
1. Correcting or improving the undesirable conditions in his life which are precipitating the
problem.
2. Assisting him in finding suitable friends and people with whom he might associate or identify.
3. Providing for conferences through the guidance service with teachers and other adults who
may be contributing to the problem though unreasonable demands.
4. Encouraging the parents to show an interest in the child and aiding them in improving
conditions which may be precipitating the problem.
5. Giving him instruction in social skills and creating opportunities for him to work with, and
assume responsibilities in group projects.
6. Correcting any situation in which he is being bullied by another person.
7. Providing classroom enrichment experiences by which he can gain a feeling of success.
8. Modifying the school program to enable him to fulfill his needs more satisfactory and always
keeping demands and expectations realistic in terms of his capabilities.

Abegail Joy Banagan

TIMID, BACKWARD, WITHDRAWING CHILD

The timid child is the one who stays in the background and he generally has a good
reason for keeping himself isolated. He sometimes gives the impression of being backward;
however his problems is not so much a lack of ability as it is low self-esteem and low self-
confidence.
Excessive daydreaming often serves as an escape for the timid child. Life fails to provide
adequately for his needs, so he finds thrills and satisfaction in escaping from reality through
daydreams.

SYMPTOMS OF TIMID, BACKWARD, WITHDRAWING CHILD

1. Reluctance to take part in class recitations and failure to complete assignments.

2. Preference to work alone.

3. Avoidance of physical activity which includes contact or competition with others.

4. Tendency towards nervous habits (twisting clothes, squirming, biting fingernails).

5. Discomfiture when teased or engaged in an argument, which he tries to avoid.

6. Preoccupied with his thought and personal activities with an apparent lack of awareness
of activity and people around him.

CAUSES:
1. Physical immaturity, handicaps or deficiencies and limited athletic skill.

2. Low academic ability or limitations in study habits or facilities for effective study.

3. Inadequate special skills and low interest in school.

4. Parental over protection, domination or insufficient love and attention.

5. Unrealistic standards on the part of the school or his family.

6. Unfavourable position in comparison to siblings whose successes may magnify his

inadequacies.

7. Previous experiences which have proved unpleasant and embarrassing.

APPROACHES AND TREATMENTS

1. Arranging for activities where strength or skills are unessential for success.
 2. Modifying the level of expectations established by the school and making it possible for
him to succeed.

3. Encouraging him to participate in activities in which he can perform adequately and

aiding him in the development of social skills.

4. Conferring with his parents and deciding upon which tasks he can perform adequately.

5. Investigating and modifying disciplinary procedures in order to make certain that they are
appropriate and consistently applied.

6. Winning his confidence through a friendly personal approach.

THE DISHONEST CHILD

Cheating, stealing and lying are all regarded as forms of dishonesty. There are other
forms, but these three are of the greatest concern to the school because of their seriousness in
respect to the childs development and their frequency of occurrence.
Stealing is also dishonest behaviour, and it requires the attention of the school when the
behaviour persists. The personal wishes of a very small child are paramount with him.
The insecure, neglected, abuse or rejected child has a greater justification for such
behaviour as he strives to fulfil his needs for status. The conduct should not be ignored, but
neither should be a childs problem be intensified by hasty judgments and illogical punishment.

SYMPTOMS OF DISHONESTY
1. Loiters around classroom, lockers or desks, or who casually looks at another students
work during tests or personal assignments.

2. Resort to untruths in explaining his behaviour or possessions.

3. Gives the appearance of being apprehensive, nervous and on guard.

4. Resorts to various devices for ascertaining the location of money or other items in the
classroom.

5. Uses notes, marks on his desk, or other devices as aids in school work and may
attempt to add points to the score given his work.

CAUSES OF DISHONEST BEHAVIOR

1. An actual need for certain items in order to maintain himself properly within a class or to
meet physical needs.

2. Unfavourable home conditions where a youngsters physical or psychological needs are

not met.

3. Inadequate social skills, low academic ability, lack of interest in school and inability to
complete successfully.

4. Undue stress upon grades by the school or family, or a rigid demanding grading system.

5. Loneliness, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority and lack of status with peers.
APPROACHES AND TREATMENTS
1. Making certain his basic needs for survival and comfort are met.

2. Visiting the home and encouraging the parents to express their affection and
appreciation for the child.

3. Providing opportunities for him to assume responsibility make decisions and less
dependent on others.

4. Encouraging participation in extracurricular activities.

5. Providing group work experiences in school and the opportunities for students to
cooperate, share and assist rather than to compete.

Katrina Joyce Terrazola

The Highly Emotional Child

The highly emotional child reacts in an extreme fashion to conditions in the environment.
He lacks balance generally manifested in the well-adjusted youngster. He may fret, cry, talk in
loud tones, chew his fingernails or become physically ill over relatively minor incidents. Usually,
the child is unaware of the reasons for his feelings and behavior, and he might be even unaware
of the behavior itself or show no concern for how it might appear others. Such behavior can
become habitual and extremely difficult to change.

SYMPTOMS
The behavior of the highly emotional child is often characterized by such symptoms as
follows:
1. Excessive squirming, purposeless movements, nervous hand movements, twisting
clothes, thumb sucking and biting objects.

2. Short attention span with a tendency to abandon a task before its completion.

3. Excessive movement about the room to sharpen a pencil or dispose of waste paper and
frequent requests to leave the room.

4. Easily aroused anger, becoming upset over minor incidents, often being on the
defensive and sometimes being cruel, destructive and unmanageable.

5. Uncontrollable muscle movement, facial tics, muscle rigidity, and abnormal bodily
movements.

6. Unpredictable and sporadic performance with achievement generally below the level of
capability.

7. Occasional temper tantrums with extremes in moods, becoming highly elated or

depressed with no apparent cause.

CAUSES

1. Unfavorable family relationships, including neglect, rejection, arguments and frictions.

2. An absence of controls at home or school, or inconsistencies in discipline.
3. Severe, unreasonable or harsh treatment and unrealistic demands and pressures.
4. Frequent due to failure of the school to challenge the bright child adequately or to provide
appropriate experience for him.
5. Frustration due to failure of the school to challenge the bright child adequately or to
provide appropriate experience for him.
6. Confusion and uncertainty due to conflicting standards of conduct and morality within the
childs environment.

TREATMENT
The best possible treatment for the highly emotional child is prevention.
Harper and Wright note that certain experience is crucial in enabling the
disturbed child to learn and that these experiences vary priority. They state that these
needs are in the following sequence:
a) safety; b) basic comfort; c) personal pleasures; d) self - respect; e) success and
challenge.
Any treatment suggested for the highly emotional child must take into
consideration his basic needs, and it must include a genuine interest in the child as
separate person worthy of love and deserving respect of his peer. In attempting to
provide for the highly emotional child, the school might:
1. Take the initiative in alleviating undesirable home conditions through parent
conferences, study groups and home visits.

2. Keep disciplinary and control measures reasonably consistent and appropriate

and avoid extremes of harsh treatment.

3. Provide adequate controls and assist the child to control his emotions and
manage the behavior.

4. Modify the expectations of the school to make it possible for the child to succeed
with a minimum of anxiety and provide counseling through which he may gain
confidence.

5. Provide for enrichment experiences in which the child is adequately challenged

and the opportunity to experience the thrill of success.

6. Make known to each child acceptable moral standards and codes of conduct to
serve as guides in his thinking and behavior.

CAUSES OF MISBEHAVIOR
1. General insecurity of the times.

2. Home conditions.

3. The school.

4. Economic status.

5. Racial status or regionalism.

Mikee Caburnay
 The Functions of Guidance with Behavior Problems
Functions of the guidance service in the matter of behavior:

1. Appraisal of aptitudes and personality. The tools of the guidance service and skills of
the counselor are utilized in determining a childs strengths and weaknesses and unique
personality characteristics. Knowledge of his aptitudes, interests and personality should
prove helpful in determining the most helpful procedures to use in aiding him toward the
necessary insights for behavior improvement. The counselors assessment is somewhat
dependent upon this knowledge and his skills, and the child should also be appraised of
the meaning of data obtained on him in order to use them profitably for self-
improvement.

2. Evaluation of behavior. Some determination as to the meaning, seriousness and

implications of behavior needs to be made. The guidance service takes the initiative and
provides the tools and skills needed to assess behavior objectively.
Symptoms of maladjustment have meaning if objectivity and sound judgement are used in
identifying them. A cautious approach is required in which the best judgements of a number of
people are considered. Sufficient time must be available, and the careful appraisal of all
evidence should precede this judgements. Just as the behavior of children so, too, may the
significance of particular conduct be quite different for any two children. Merely casual
observations by either the teacher or counselor are not satisfactory. Wisdom, born of academic
training and experience, and a genuine interest in each child are essential.

3. Establishment of a framework for specialized services. The guidance must provide the
structure and the organization for appopriate preventive, remedial and therapeutic services.
Provisions must be made for competent personnel,appopriate tools, adequate facilities,
coordination of efforts and sufficient time.
Developing problems are noted and necessary assistance is provided by design and through
planning, not by chance. The efficiency with which services are performed and coordinated and
their value to the student depend to a high degree upon the stability and quality of the
organization providing the serviced. If the administraive structure for a program is defensible,
practicable and understood by the staff, specialized services for students become possible.

4. Conduct of research activities. Judgements, opinions, and actions of the staff are often of
limited worth because of the absence of research data. Conclusions as to the possible causes
of behavior and opinions about how a child should be handled depend upon empirical data.
The guidance department should be aware of and provide research data. The subject for such
research should contribute something to the schools program.
The findings and conclusions might also have implications for other schools, and if so, these
should be made available elsewhere. An attitude of healthy inquiry and curiousity should
characterize the efforts of the guidance works, and the subsequent outcome should improve the
existing program.

Diana B. Salvador