First responses to managing challenging behaviours.

EDST4084 Week 9

You will need to know the first response to your allocated challenging behavior for the tutorial activity. Please ensure you have created a palm
card that you can refer to if needed. You have 45-60 seconds to tell a peer what your challenging behaviour is and what a teacher’s first
response to it should be. This activity is a bit like speed dating! You need to know what your first response is. You are the expert!

Situation First response

Absconding/leaving school grounds
When a student leaves your classroom or the school grounds in a distressed state without your
permission, you need to do something about it. Although you may be tempted to run after the student,
this typically makes them run faster and escalates the situation – they are in flight mode.
The correct first response is to quickly set your class an independent activity (e.g., “I need you to
summarise the key points from this lesson whilst I look after this situation”), then move to where you
can watch the student so that you can provide the front office with as much information as possible re
the direction the student has headed. Concurrently, you should phone the front office and report the

1 situation immediately, whilst hopefully maintaining visual contact with the student.
Sexually explicit actions directed to
themselves, you, or other students
If you need to move outside your classroom to maintain your line of sight, ask the teacher next door to
keep an eye on your class. You should only walk when following the student to maintain the line of
sight. The office personnel will advise you as to whether the executive is on their way to intervene,
whether you will need to keep an eye on the student a little longer, or if you should return to class.
Check if your school behaviour management plan has a set procedure for this event.
Is the aim to offend someone or to stimulate themselves? Societal norms view such actions as offensive
regardless of aim. If to offend you or peers, your aim is to not deliver what the student wants – you will
struggle to stop other students’ reactions, which will unfortunately reinforce the student’s behaviour. If
to self-stimulate, your response must be educative – time and place (in private), never at school.
A calm but firm reprimand delivered to the student in close proximity is required, “That is not

2 appropriate school behaviour. Be respectful of others. You will need to see me about this …(insert time
e.g., now, recess etc.).” An appropriate logical/restitution-style consequence can be delivered then.
Making a scene by yelling at the student to stop and ranting on about how offensive the behaviour is
will only draw unwanted peer attention to the behaviour.
Physical aggression to staff (you or a Here, your first response is to remove yourself and others from the situation or to block further harm if
colleague) you are cornered. Students rarely physically assault their teachers. If at the threatening stage, your
response should be calm, keep eye contact, and calmly ask the student to take a seat or to go and get a
drink of water. However, if a teacher has not read the warning signs from the student, or has pushed
them to such an elevated state by threatening the student in some way, students can push, kick, or
 punch teachers. If you do get pushed, kicked, or punched you should not reciprocate the behaviour

3 towards the student. It is ok to block/deflect further attempts to push, kick, or punch in self-defence by
putting your arms up or turning your body away. Ideally you should move away from the student whilst
firmly and loudly directing them to stop. If possible, call/send for assistance.
Self-injurious behaviour Students typically self-harm in private. You may, however, see scarring or a student might disclose their
self-harm, or a friend of the student may report it. If they directly disclose, your first response is to
listen to pupils in emotional distress calmly and in a non-judgmental way. If reported or observed, then
your first response is to tell the student you have noticed/are aware of the scarring/injury and that you

4 must let the school counselor know, as you legally have to. Reassure the student that they are not in
trouble, and that people need to know about their problem so that they can receive help. You can
accompany the student to the school counselor or other designated executive.

Offensive language (racial, homophobic, Your first response to offensive language, regardless if racial, sexist, or homophobic, is to make it clear
sexist) to the student that the language is unacceptable and it needs to stop now. This can be publically or
privately addressed depending on the context where the language was used. Provide a rationale to the
student that such language is hurtful and creates an unsafe school. Do describe the language used (that

5 comment was homophobic, racist, sexist) and behaviour specifically, and check if the young person
understands what they are saying. Convey that every instance of such behaviour will be addressed by
you, and all teachers at the school, within the school’s anti-bullying and behaviour policies.

Physical aggression towards peers/fights Teachers’ first response should be to move towards the fight and use the first names of the students
involved (if known, if not ask bystander for names), followed by commands such as “Stop now!
Separate!” Point to where you want them to move. You also need to clear the crowd, “Clear the

6 hall/area and go to class right now: Ben, Tom, go to class”. Do not physically intervene in a fight on
your own. Call for assistance/send a student to the office to get assistance.

Verbal aggression towards staff (you or a
colleague)
Keeping your emotions in check is the first step to gaining control of any situation.
Waiting and observing allows you to accurately assess the behavior, keeps you from losing your cool,
and clearly establishes you as the leader in control of the classroom. Let them run out of steam.
Chernow and Chernow (1989) recommend the following steps in dealing with a verbally aggressive
student before he or she has calmed down to a degree that discussion is possible:

7 Tell the student that you will not argue with him or her, provide the student with a choice and leave the
student alone, allowing time to decide. Telling the student, “I will not talk to you if you are going to call
me names. When you feel ready to address me with my name, I will be willing to help you/discuss this
 with you,” and walking away leaves you and the student with some sense of calm and control.
Instruct a hostile student to wait for you away from other students, i.e., in the hall or office. This will
allow the student time to calm down so that you can engage him or her in discussion.

Verbal aggression towards peer/s Your first response here is to tell the student in a calm but firm voice to stop. Disperse any onlookers of
possible. The aggressor is likely in an elevated emotional state. Direct the student to move away from
the student/s they are being aggressive towards, ”stand over there please”. Not seeing the other

8 student/s will assist them to calm down. If they will not move, direct the student/s to whom they are
being aggressive to move (e.g., send on an errand/to office/next door/library): you can follow up with
them later. Diffusion is the key here. Let the angry student know when they have calmed down a bit
that you would like to find out what made them so angry.
Bullying or intimidation towards peers or staff The first response to a student bullying staff, you, or another student is to describe the behaviour. “That
is bullying behaviour. We do not tolerate that behaviour at our school.” The school likely has an anti-
bullying policy and you should follow it. If you do not feel like you can confront the student/s who are
bullying you, you should inform your head teacher. They can assist in organising an accountability

9 conference where it is made clear to the student exactly what they have been doing or saying that is
inappropriate and ask them to account for their behaviour. This process must be repeated with any
colluding students who are supporting the main offender.

Stealing Teachers rarely catch high school students in the act of stealing. If you have not observed the student
stealing then you cannot accuse them of such. A student may report the theft to you and whom they
believe may have been responsible. As a teacher, you cannot search a student, their locker, or bag. Only

10 the police/security officer can do that. A better first response is to report the matter to your executive
and they can investigate the matter/involve police if necessary. If you have observed the student
stealing another/school property, then your first response is to describe what you have just seen to the
student, and ask them to explain their behaviour. A logical consequence can then be applied.
Throwing objects at peers/out window Students can throw objects for fun as well as to harm/upset their peers or the teacher. Your first
response when you see a student throwing something is to firmly request them to stop, and if not too
late, ask them to put the object safely back in its place. A follow-up discussion is then needed to

11 highlight safety or respect. If thrown, the item needs to be returned to its original position if unbroken.
If broken, the item will need to be replaced by the student. If injuries occur, more serious consequences
are required.
Tantrums/poorly managed anger Teenagers can still throw tantrums, perhaps not the lie on the ground and flail variety, but they can
scream, pout, whine, and stomp their feet to try and get their way. Tantrums should not be reinforced.
 If the student is unlikely to escalate to physical aggression, then a first response to the behaviour would

12 be ignoring the tantrum if possible. If the tantrum is preventing you from teaching, then you may need
to send the student to a buddy teacher/executive or clear the room (class leaves and moves to a
designated spot).
Lying or cheating Like stealing, a teacher must have proof of the student has lied or cheated. You may well have a
suspicion but cannot confirm it. You are not a detective. Your response to either will depend upon the
motivation behind the action. Your interventions must be in private. You can state that you suspect they
have lied or cheated and the matter will need to be investigated. For blatant lying, whatever the

13 student sought to avoid by lying must not be avoided. If the student lies to embellish something, then
call it just that. For confirmed cheating, your school may have a policy on this. Often zero marks are
given. The student may be asked to undertake a supplementary exam. The seriousness of lying or
cheating should be stated and the impacts on their academic or personal futures.
Swearing High school students swear. Your response to this will be determined by the purpose of the swearing.
It may be in anger/frustration, said to upset/offend another, conversational, or in response to fear/pain.
Your first response in all cases is to calmly remind them that swearing is not acceptable at your school.

14 The consequence will then depend on the purpose. For instances of swearing due to fear/pain or in
casual conversation you happen to overhear, the reminder is sufficient. When directed at you or a peer
due to anger/frustration or to offend, let them know once they calm down you will discuss the matter
with them.
Setting others up Unless you have proof, this is another behaviour that requires careful handing. If you have proof
because you have witnessed it, then your first response is a private conversation with the student
stating that you are aware of their hand in setting another up. You should apply the logical consequence
that they would receive they themselves had actioned the behaviour. You cannot force an apology to
the peer they set up. You could try some empathy building with the student. Restitution, making it up to

15 the student they set up could also be explored.

If you cannot prove their hand in the set up, you can speak privately with the student about your
suspicion. Empathy building could be explored. If sensible, the student could also be involved in
rectifying the situation caused by the person set up.