What are the underlying causes of behavioral disorders in children?

There are many causes for behavioral problems in childhood. When these first appear when entering school or during comparable life changes, the focus is on overstraining with the new situation and the loss of familiar structures. For example, many only children who were able to enjoy the full attention of their parents at home and had little contact with peers do not feel comfortable in kindergarten with the many other children.

Also, when they enter school age, some do not always cope with the increasing demands placed on them. Most of the time these conditions are temporary and the children get used to the new situation, but sometimes the strain and protest also manifests itself in disturbing, attention-seeking and possibly aggressive behavior. Causes for the excessive demands can lie, for example, in the upbringing, when the children lack clear rules and structures, but also in the environment, the circle of friends or the child itself. Even without excessive demands, conspicuous behavior can arise, for example, if a child is unhappy, stressed or otherwise influenced. Large school classes, overburdened teachers and parents, a high number of children with behavioural problems and the pressure to grow up quickly all contribute to the increased incidence of behavioural problems in children.

Behavioral disorders- How is the diagnosis made?

Behavioral abnormalities are, as the term suggests, conspicuous. Sooner or later, teachers and educators or parents become aware of them and seek contact with a (school) psychologist, for example, if behavior in the school or social environment becomes a problem. There the diagnosis is then made based on the reports of the parents or teachers and the observed behavior in the child, whereby a detailed examination is necessary to exclude psychological disorders as a trigger for the conspicuousness.

The diagnosis is made by a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist specialized in children. Although teachers and educators are usually the first to notice a behavioral disorder, and many parents use various online tests and questionnaires before the diagnosis is made, the final diagnosis can only be made by an appropriate professional. The principle of “observing and understanding” children with behavioral disorders is mainly applied by teachers, especially in schools that teach many “problem” children.

In the first step, the child’s behavior is observed and described in detail, since the spectrum of behavioral disorders is enormous and thus a further differentiation of the behavior shown is possible. In the second step, an attempt is made to put oneself in the child’s shoes and to understand the reasons that drive this behavior. This procedure should shed light on the cause of the problem behavior and help the pedagogue to find the individual strategy to solve the problem. Dealing with children with behavioral problems is usually exhausting, frustrating and tiring, as their background is not always apparent.The procedure helps to be responsive to the individual student and to find a starting point for the right way of dealing with him.