How to Fix Behavior Problems

Tending to a behavior problem can make it possible for the individual to better operate in school or society as a whole. If you are responsible for a child who struggles with behavioral challenges, dedicating yourself to fixing the problems he exhibits, instead of just resigning yourself to accepting them, could prove a wise choice. By dealing with behavioral problems systematically, and implementing a consistently enforced system of rules and consequences, you can likely help the individual overcome his behavioral challenges.

Instructions

1. Identify problems. To effectively correct behavior problems, you must determine what problems exist. Begin by listing all of the problems that the misbehaving individual exhibits with regularity.

2. Rank the problems by order of importance. Number the problems from most to least important. Rank most highly the problems that put the individual or those around him in danger, and give lower rankings to problems that are simply an annoyance.

3. Select problems upon which to initially focus. Pick no more than three problems to try to deal with at a time. Attempting to tackle more problems at one time will likely reduce the effectiveness of your behavior correction efforts.

4. Explain the problem to the individual exhibiting the behavior. For behavior modification to be optimally effective, the individual exhibiting the bad behavior must be on board. Don't leave him to wonder why you are trying to change him; instead, talk to him about why his behavior is problematic and how changing his behavior could benefit him.

5. Teach better ways of handling the issues that lead to the behavioral problem. Often, behavior problems are rooted in an inability to effectively handle emotions such as anger or frustration. If the individual's problem is that he tends to act out and hit people when he becomes angry, teaching him other ways to channel his anger may prove effective.

6. Set strict behavioral guidelines. For the behavior to change, you must be strict. Set behavioral guidelines and do not deviate from them. This may sometimes be difficult for parents, siblings or other caregivers, but the strictness and consistency will help extinguish the behavior.

7. Create logical consequences. Whenever possible, make the consequence fit the crime. For example, if the individual tends to vandalize, make his punishment cleaning up the mess he made.

8. Revisit the issue regularly to monitor success. Periodically reassess the situation by determining whether the individual's behavior has gotten better or worse than it was previously. By reassessing, you can determine whether your efforts have been effective and, if not, create a new plan.

References

• Scholastic: How to Turn Around Annoying Behavior Problems
• "Journal of Clinical Child Psychology": Internalizing Behavior Problems and Scholastic Achievement in Children