Hyperactivity is a special condition of the central nervous system, in which there is a clear predominance of excitation processes over inhibition processes. The central nervous system simply cannot cope with a significant increase in mental and physical stress, as a result of which the child experiences certain difficulties associated with the perception of the world around him, interaction with peers and adults. This form of behavior disorder manifests itself most clearly in children who have reached primary school age (7 years and older). This is due to the beginning of a new learning activity for them.
The main signs indicating the presence of hyperactivity in a child are:
● inconsistency;
● fussiness;
● anxiety;
● restlessness;
● excessive emotional activity and instability;
● increased motor activity;
● impulsiveness and outbursts of uncontrolled aggression;
● non-compliance with norms and rules of behavior.
It is naive to believe that over time, the symptoms characteristic of childhood hyperactivity will “pass” and cease to bother both those around them and the child himself. On the contrary, without promptly provided professional help, the situation will only worsen, and one of the most pronounced complications will be aggression expressed verbally or in the form of physical force towards peers and close circle. Also, aggression can be hidden if parents suppress it with incorrectly chosen methods of education. Reinforced by mistakes in upbringing, it often turns into aggressiveness as a character trait.
There are psychological and neurological causes of hyperactivity and attacks of aggression in a child 7 years old and older.
Psychological reasons:
● emotional incontinence of parents (quarrels, conflicts between father and mother, aggressive behavior not only at home, but also in society);
● indifferent attitude of parents to the affairs and interests of the child;
● child abuse;
● high demands and high moral responsibility that are inappropriate for age (as a result, the child is afraid of not meeting the expectations placed on him);
● presence of bad habits in one or both parents (alcoholism, drug addiction in the family);
● strong emotional attachment to one of the parents;
● loss of a loved one;
● excessive care and control and, conversely, permissiveness, lack of prohibitions;
● inconsistency, lack of unity in education, etc.
Neurological reasons:
● organic brain damage during pregnancy or as a result of birth trauma;
● functional underdevelopment;
● injuries of the cervical spine;
● hereditary predisposition, genetic diseases;
● infectious diseases;
● stress experienced;
● exposure to certain medications, etc.
How to help a 7-year-old child overcome hyperactivity and attacks of aggression?
Providing assistance to such children should be comprehensive and combine various methods of neuropsychological and psychological-pedagogical correction.
Often parents do not understand the nature of the behavior of their hyperactive children. They begin to be annoyed by the child’s constant problems with academic performance and discipline. If parents seek psychological advice about a child’s hyperactivity, then he needs to be prepared for the fact that the specialist will largely work not with the hyperactivity itself, but with its psychological causes. A psychologist will help to establish the causes of a child’s hyperactivity and aggressive behavior, identify and neutralize marital conflict, determine the optimal style of raising a child, and give a number of useful recommendations that will help correct his behavior.
The actions and actions of parents, first of all, must meet the requirements for the child, and the educational process must include uniform requirements and the personal example of both parents - only in this case will correct and harmonious development be observed.
https://pandia.ru/text/78/462/images/image002_20.gif" alt="Dispute" width="359" height="128 src=">!}
with school parents
on the topic:"Communication with aggressive
and hyperactive children»
Ust-Nerskaya basic secondary school
schools with special classes
educational psychologist
Pascal Victoria Viktorovna
Ust-Nera village, 2010
Today we will talk about the difficulties that often occur in teenage children, and we do not know why children behave this way and what to do about it, how to communicate correctly. Let's try to understand one of these difficulties.
Aggression (from Lat. – attack, attack) is destructive behavior that contradicts the norms and rules of coexistence of people in society, harming objects of attack (animate and inanimate), causing physical harm to people (negative experiences, states of tension, fear, depression, etc.) (Psychological Dictionary). Bass and A. Darkie identify 5 types of aggression, which can be schematically depicted as follows:
All these types of aggression can be observed in people of all ages, and sometimes they appear from early childhood.
The development of a child’s aggressive behavior is influenced by many factors, for example, some somatic diseases of the brain, as well as various social factors, can contribute to the manifestation of aggressive qualities. Currently, more and more scientific studies are emerging confirming the fact that scenes of violence shown in films and on television screens contribute to an increase in the level of aggressiveness of viewers. There is also a direct connection between manifestations of childhood aggression and parenting styles in the family.
Thus, psychologists note that if a child is severely punished for any manifestation of aggressiveness, then he learns to hide his anger in the presence of his parents, but this does not guarantee the suppression of aggression in any other situation.
The dismissive, conniving attitude of adults towards a child’s aggressive outbursts also leads to the formation of aggressive personality traits in him. Children often use aggression and disobedience to attract the attention of an adult. Children whose parents are characterized by excessive compliance, uncertainty, and sometimes helplessness in the educational process do not feel completely safe and also become aggressive. Parents' uncertainty and hesitation when making any decisions provokes the child into whims and outbursts of anger, with the help of which children can influence the further course of events and at the same time achieve their own. In order to eliminate unwanted manifestations of a child’s aggression, as a preventive measure, psychologists advise parents to pay more attention to their children, strive to establish warm relationships with them, and at certain stages of the development of their son or daughter, show firmness and determination.
Parents should set an example for their children. The best guarantee of good self-control and adequate behavior in children is the ability of parents to control themselves.
Hyperactivity . In literary sources, the term “hyperactivity” does not yet have an unambiguous interpretation. However, many experts include inattention, impulsiveness, and increased physical activity as external manifestations of hyperactivity. Among the reasons for the appearance of hyperactivity in a child may be genetic factors, birth injuries (85% of cases), and infectious diseases suffered by the child. By adolescence, increased motor activity usually disappears, but impulsivity and attention deficit remain.
Having identified a hyperactive child, a teacher or parent should contact a neurologist and conduct an appropriate medical examination.
Keeping in mind the individual characteristics of hyperactive children, it is advisable to work with them at the beginning of the day rather than in the evening, reduce their workload, and take breaks from work. An adult must remember that instructions to a hyperactive child must be very clear and concise (no more than 10 words). A hyperactive child needs to be encouraged often (to strengthen self-confidence, praise and approval from adults are needed, but do not do this too emotionally, so as not to overstimulate the child). It is necessary to communicate with the child gently and calmly, because hyperactive children are very sensitive to screams and can easily join your mood. These children get tired quickly, so parents should limit their children’s stay in crowded places and try not to invite many guests into the house at once. Maintaining a clear daily routine at home is also one of the most important conditions for successful actions when interacting with a hyperactive child. If possible, it is necessary to protect a hyperactive child from prolonged use of the computer and from watching television programs, especially those that contribute to his emotional arousal. Quiet walks with parents before bedtime are useful for a hyperactive child, during which parents have the opportunity to speak frankly and privately with the child and learn about his problems. And fresh air and measured steps will help the child calm down.
Campbell believes that parents of hyperactive children often make three main mistakes in parenting. The mistakes he formulated are: "traps":
Treatment and education of a hyperactive child should be carried out comprehensively, with the participation of many specialists: a neurologist, psychologist, teacher, etc.
Anxiety – this is an individual psychological feature, which consists of an increased tendency to experience anxiety in a wide variety of life situations, including those that do not encourage this. Anxiety can be situational or general.
The concepts of “anxiety” and “anxiety” are often confused. Anxiety is episodic manifestations of worry and worry. Single, that is, frequently occurring manifestations of anxiety can develop into a stable state, which is called “anxiety.” Anxiety is made up of many emotions, one of which is fear. People at any age experience the emotion of fear, but every age also has so-called “age-related fears,” which have been studied and described in detail by many specialists. From 7 to 11 years old, the child is most afraid of “being the wrong one,” of doing something wrong, of not meeting generally accepted requirements and standards. Thus, it is normal for a child to have fears, but if there are a lot of fears, then we should already talk about the presence of anxiety and the child’s character. J. Ranschburg and P. Popper revealed an interesting pattern: the higher the child’s intelligence, the more fear he experiences. One of the main reasons for the increased level of anxiety in younger schoolchildren is considered to be a violation of parent-child relationships (parents’ dissatisfaction with their work, financial situation and living conditions have a significant impact on the development of anxiety in children)
Most often, anxiety develops when a child is in a state of internal conflict. It can be called:
1) negative demands placed on the child, which can humiliate or put him in a dependent position;
3) conflicting demands placed on the child by parents or school.
Quite often, anxious children have low self-esteem, which is expressed in blaming themselves and painful perception of criticism addressed to them. Such children, as a rule, are more likely to be manipulated by adults and peers. In order to help children increase their self-esteem, psychologists suggest showing sincere concern for them and giving a positive assessment of their actions and actions as often as possible. First of all, it is necessary to call the child by name as often as possible and praise him in the presence of other children and adults. As observations have shown, emotional tension in anxious children most often manifests itself in muscle tension in the face and neck. Using elements of massage and even simple rubbing of the body helps relieve muscle tension. And it is not at all necessary to resort to the help of medical specialists. The mother can apply the simplest elements of massage herself or simply hug the child. You can also organize impromptu masquerades, shows, or simply paint your faces with your mother’s old lipsticks. Try to shout less, pull back, and make comments to anxious children - as this creates a feeling of defenselessness in the child.
Page 12 of 102
Causes of aggressive behavior
The reason that a child will demonstrate “difficult” behavior, become unusually aggressive or even domineering can be a whole range of different factors. Some people are calm and peaceful by nature, others are very active, impulsive or too hot-tempered and ready to show aggression. One of the factors on which both physical abilities and personality traits depend is definitely heredity.
When examining many people with a predisposition to aggressive and impulsive behavior, changes in the production of neurotransmitters - signaling substances - in the brain can be detected. Thus, a genetically determined change in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain can lead to increased aggressiveness, and dopamine - to increased impulsivity. In aggressive men, changes in the level of, for example, male sex hormones are often detected. Through research, it was found that changes in the production of the “stress hormone” cortisol in children and adults led to disruption of social behavior.
Children who behave aggressively already in the first years of life tend to retain such behavioral characteristics until puberty and are so-called antisocial individuals with a predisposition to the use of physical violence and manifestations of criminal behavior. These “difficult” children are often unable to show empathy or be sensitive towards other people, but, on the contrary, behave extremely unceremoniously. With their behavior and way of expressing emotions, they have a negative impact on others, while the passion for causing this kind of harm can be hereditary. In most cases, the cause of the problem of antisocial behavior of many adolescents, who also exhibit negative character traits during puberty, lies in the living conditions of the family, which have a negative impact on personality development.
Children with severe anxiety, impulsivity, inability to concentrate due to attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, or antidiuretic hormone levels are likely to engage in aggressive behavior patterns in daily life, especially when they suffer from impulse control disorders.
Impulse control disorder means that children are unable to think through their sudden ideas or desires - they immediately begin to act, bringing them to life without thinking about the possible consequences. They generally cannot wait and are unable to control their anger, hence their short temper and tendency to engage in violent tantrums.
Impulse control disorders, however, can occur in the absence of antidiuretic hormone in the body. The reasons for the production of antidiuretic hormone in the child’s body may be heredity, harm to the child during intrauterine development, for example, if the expectant mother smokes, takes drugs or abuses alcohol during pregnancy, as well as complications during childbirth, such as hypoxia (oxygen starvation) or premature birth . Improper upbringing can also be one of the factors causing the production of antidiuretic hormone in the body, especially if the parents themselves suffer from social behavior disorders. This factor can only increase the symptoms of impaired social behavior in the child. About three-quarters of hyperactive children demonstrate aggressive behavior.
Many children who are diagnosed with antidiuretic hormone have what is called a perceptual disorder. These children have difficulty comprehending and assimilating what they see or hear. Children often come to see pediatric doctors, for example, with a low pain threshold or who do not feel their own bodies very well and, as a result, are awkward and rude in relationships with other children. These children attract attention with their physically aggressive behavior throughout the entire period of development. Watching them, you can see their disappointment due to the fact that they do not succeed in many things, and they themselves do not understand that their rudeness can cause pain to other children.
The disorder may also not be related to the body's production of antidiuretic hormone, and the causes are usually the same as in the case of impulse control disorders. In addition, many children in whom antidiuretic hormone is not detected have a so-called partial perception disorder. It primarily affects the educational process and can lead to dyslexia (impaired reading and writing) or acalculia (impaired counting), as well as cause disappointment in school and aversion to it and the educational process in general.
Hyperactive children with attention problems and inability to concentrate often become unrecognized in the family or school, and frustration in everyday life can provoke aggressive behavior in them. That is why communication with such children requires enormous patience from adults.
A low level of intelligence is a serious obstacle to normal personality development and can be the cause of a child’s aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior with the use of violence is observed in children with underdeveloped intelligence primarily outside of school, among children and adolescents with poor academic performance. Children with intellectual disabilities tend to have reduced judgment. Teenagers prone to aggressive behavior often act suddenly and at the moment of aggression do not think about the consequences of their actions or possible punishment. These children are unaware of both the short-term and long-term consequences of their actions (the pain experienced by their victims, social sanctions, etc.). Children and adolescents who are prone to aggression often mistakenly perceive the actions and opinions of other people as hostile, although in reality this is not the case.
Aggressive behavior with elements of violence can be provoked not only by impaired body image, decreased learning ability, or a predisposition to hyperactivity or impulsivity. Speech development disorders also provoke aggressive behavior. A person becomes upset when he cannot correctly formulate and express his thoughts or when he is difficult to understand due to speech impediments. This can be seen very well in the example of healthy young children, when they begin to fight or take something away, screaming and resisting, because they do not speak very well yet and cannot say what they want. Therefore, a violation of speech development is a very serious problem and, probably, may underlie a violation of auditory abilities or auditory sensations and provoke the development of deviations from norms of behavior.
The genetic and physical abilities of an individual are greatly influenced by so-called psychosocial factors, which can become an impetus for the development of a tendency to aggressive and problematic behavior. These factors act on the mechanisms of personality development that are presented in the theories discussed above. But it should be noted that neither prevention nor proper treatment of children can change the physiology of the individual.
At the initial stage of “difficult” behavior and when social behavior disorders occur, there is a close relationship between personality predispositions and stress factors in everyday life (psychosocial risk factors), which are very important to promptly recognize and eradicate. Since the process of transforming the “difficult” behavior of a four-year-old child into the disrupted social behavior of an eleven-year-old is almost impossible to change, helping families in the early stages of children’s personality development plays a huge role, and it is better to prepare for raising a child already during pregnancy or at least in the first months of the baby’s life . Unfortunately, only 10% of families realize the real need to receive psychological help, and yet do not receive it or receive it too late.
As we have already found out, lack of parental love and attention also becomes the cause of child aggression. But the child needs very little from you. For example, play together or watch Uzbek films 2012 with the participation of schoolchildren, or just hear a pleasant word addressed to you. Watching family movies together can become bridges in your communication.
