Managing children’s aggressive behaviour in primary school

Wednesday 4 May 2016

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this
land and pay my respects to Elders past, present and future,
for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and
hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Tonight’s panel

Paul Shelton Nerida Kinross-Smith Facilitator: Vicki Cowling, OAM

Teacher and consultant School psychologist Social worker and psychologist
Ground Rules

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mental health difficulties can be triggering for us.

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Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the webinar participants will:

• better understand how aggressive behaviours can present in primary school children
and what the underlying causes may be

• learn strategies to help reduce aggressive behaviours, and support positive

behaviours, in the school and classroom

• extend their knowledge about working collaboratively with families, school staff, and
health and community professionals

NB: The case study is designed to be open ended in order to raise questions, provoke
thought and generate discussion.
Definition of Anger

• aggression

• feelings of anger or antipathy resulting in hostile or violent behaviour

• readiness to attack or confront

Vicki Cowling, OAM

Aggressive behaviours that may be seen in
children in primary schools

• Threatening physical or verbal behaviour towards students or teachers

• Throwing things with intent to harm in classroom or playground

• Yelling abuse at students or teachers

• Mocking others; calling others names

• Antagonizing others so they react physically or verbally

• Using technology to bully or undermine another child

Vicki Cowling, OAM

Why do children behave this way?

• Seeking attention

• Lacking self-confidence, feeling inadequate

• Taking revenge

• Displaying power

Vicki Cowling, OAM

Possible origins of aggressive behaviour

• Cultural influences – arising from migration, resettlement

• Environmental influences – influences in community, neighbourhood

• Family influences – socio-economic, unemployment, ill health, family violence

• Individual influences – developmental, neurological, cognitive, temperament

Vicki Cowling, OAM

Check our assumptions

Behaviour is rarely: • Intentional and planned “He/she plans how to mess up my

• Personal lessons”
• Isolated and random “He/she just ‘went crazy”

Our aim is not to  Help shine a light on the links between feelings, situations,
control or punish, behaviours
but…  Teach and help them learn a better way, and give many
opportunities for practice and feedback
 Support students to understand and manage their behaviour
whilst taking responsibility for their choices.

Do the learning task If the problem were an academic one, would your
test… response be the same?

Paul Shelton
Be aware of the balance

Paul Shelton
What do we know?

Paul Shelton
What do we need to know/ask?

Paul Shelton
How do we make a plan?

Paul Shelton
Underlying causes
• It’s all in the assessment

• Looking to eliminate/investigate possible contributing factors to find best solutions

• Need very comprehensive developmental history, therefore strong rapport with parents

Muhammed – looking to eliminate/investigate:

• English as second language? possibly comprehension low in all areas. Also affecting
social relationships?
• Refugee? Possibility of trauma in background
• Language disorder in mother tongue or English
• Other learning difficulties affecting language e.g. dyslexia, slow learner or intellectual
disability, autism?
• Attention disorder – ADHD? Low frustration tolerance/impulsivity/aggression
• Anxiety? due to one or all of the above?

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Underlying causes
Sam – looking to eliminate/investigate:
• Neglect? Basic welfare needs met? e.g. accommodation, safety, food, transport,
medical conditions
• Mother in distress/crisis? Need for family support?
• Long history of aggression/violence – not just this year? Lack of empathy connected
with parental modelling of violence?
• Trauma/high anxiety?
• Attention disorder – ADHD?
• Common learning difficulties – masked by other problems?

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Overview of strategies –
Individual Learning Plans for both boys
• Need to be based on trauma-informed practice/calmer classrooms
• Need to incorporate regular opportunities for self-regulation, individually and as class
• Need to lower academic expectations to reasonable levels, based on assessment
results
• Need to be intensively supported by Principal/ teacher/ teaching assistant – and
regularly reviewed for effectiveness
• Need to incorporate a whole-school approach and the development of essential life
skills e.g. social skills
• Build self-esteem and resilience for learning

Nerida Kinross-Smith
For worst-case scenarios for
both Muhammed and Sam

• May need part time enrolment or reduced hours until assessment phase completed,
circumstances settle and support strategy planned for own and safety of other children
• May need referral to paediatrician if attention problem likely/ for anxiety
• May need referral for individual counselling/therapy to assist with learning self-
regulation strategies/anger management/trauma resolution
• May need to remove whole class when extreme tantrums/aggression
• May need to remove boys from playground until behaviour settles

Nerida Kinross-Smith
For Muhammed specifically:
• Meet with family to explore cultural issues which may be impacting

For Sam specifically:

• May need external agencies involved to monitor safety/ parental contact issues/welfare
needs e.g. DHS/ Child First/Police
• May need regular mental health risk assessments; and referral for individual trauma,
self-regulation and grief counselling - with specialist practitioners e.g. CASA, CAMHS.

Nerida Kinross-Smith
What you might see in a “calmer classroom”
• Daily short relaxation/meditation at the beginning of every session
• Mozart might be playing/ Drink bottles on tables all day/Brain food at 10.00AM
• A curriculum focus on a different value each week e.g. politeness, respect, honesty,
integrity, kindness. Teachers “walk the talk”. Agreements regarding treatment of others.
Restorative practices.
• Community circle with a talking tool
• Building, recognising and celebrating strengths – both individual and group. Catering
for individual learning styles
• Give children a good reputation to live up to - public as well as private praise to: class
group, other teachers, parents and visitors to classroom.
• Visual timetables for all students/visual planner for each day on wall for whole class
• A downtime corner with bean-bag, body-sock, books, games, i-Pads, tent, fidget toys
• Opportunities for heavy muscle work for students who need to move to self-regulate
e.g. running errands, digging school garden, yoga, dance, stacking books/furniture.

Nerida Kinross-Smith
“Typical” learning session in calmer classroom

Nerida Kinross-Smith
“Typical” learning session in calmer classroom

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Working collaboratively

• “Team around the learner” approach – everyone has something to contribute

• Team involved with students could potentially include: parents, DHS, Child First,
Police, Student Support Services staff (SSS - Psychologists, Speech Pathologists,
Social Workers), GP’s, paediatricians, specialist agencies such as CASA or CAMHS,
private allied health practitioners, behaviour management specialists, interpreters,
school volunteers, or other community members

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Working collaboratively

• The APS1 have recently released guidelines on working this way to benefit your clients:

1. Have a client-centred approach. Keep client informed, and obtain consent for sharing
of information between team members.

2. Establishing good communication between involved parties around presenting facts

and issues, case formulation, and treatment plan - to minimise burden on client of
having to continually share information and to ensure effective service provision.

3. Be respectful of the skills and qualifications of your colleagues.

4. Aim for shared understanding and common goals from the outset.

5. Determining clear roles and responsibilities needs transparent discussion so role

boundaries remain clear. These roles may need to be re-negotiated depending on
circumstances.

6. Have a process for conflict management.

1. InPsych, Vol 38 Issue2, April 2016, p.31

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Working collaboratively

• Regular Student Support Group meetings (SSG’s) a good way to keep communication
channels open between professionals and individuals involved with students –
coordinated by either Principal or designated staff member if appropriate e.g. welfare
worker, chaplain.

• Supervision for case management is important with cases of this level of

complexity. A multi-disciplinary team can provide this incidentally.

Nerida Kinross-Smith
Q&A Session
More about KidsMatter
• KidsMatter is an Australian mental health and wellbeing initiative set in primary schools
and early childhood education and care services.
• It's unique because it brings together all the most important people in a child’s life.
• Research clearly shows that children who are mentally healthy are better able to meet
life’s challenges. They are also better learners and have stronger relationships.
• Good mental health in childhood lays the foundations for the future, and it is never too
early for families to start supporting the mental health of children.
More about KidsMatter
The KidsMatter website has children’s mental health information for primary schools, Early
Childhood services, Health and Community professionals and families:

www.kidsmatter.edu.au

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