An overview of Indian research on challenging behavior

Pages: 164-167
Anita Gautam (Department of Psychology, BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Anjana Mukhopadhyay (Department of Psychology, MMV, BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)

The Council for Exceptional Children coined the term ‘Emotional and Behavioral Disorder’ children including those who were seriously emotionally disturbed. Prominent authors in this field preferred the term ‘challenging’ than ‘inappropriate’ or ‘problem behavior’. The main forms have been identified as aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, self- injury behavior, stereotype and other socially or sexually unacceptable behavior. Challenging behavior thus, is a cluster of emotional and behavioral problems including both externalizing and internalizing behavioral symptoms. Children with the externalizing behavior problems of conduct disorder are more likely to grow up to become delinquent as adolescents and criminals and violent as adults. Similarly, children’s with internalizing behavior problems are more likely to grow up to become depressed and anxious. Methodologically robust studies on community samples in India have reported overall point prevalence rates of 9.4% in children aged 8-12 years, 12.5% in children aged 0-16 years, and 1.81% in adolescence age of 12-16 years. Childhood aggression is associated with a host of personal, social and academic adjustment difficulties including depression, anxiety, peer rejection, loneliness and school dropout. Studies suggested that children who display aggression early in life are also at risk for continued aggression throughout adolescence. Challenging problems are defined more profitably by their function than by their topographies. Thus it is descriptive concept which is largely constructed, and its meaning is subject to changeas per social norms and service delivery patterns over time and across geographical areas. Challenging behaviors as being logically linked to a set of predictable consequences and noted that by understanding these specific consequences, it would be possible to design more effective, efficient, and individualized intervention. Evidence suggests behavioral intervention involving an explicit functional analysis of behavior is the most effective means of assessment and treatment for children with challenging behavior. The aim of this review article is to trace out the range of characteristics of challenging behaviors and the success achieved in controlling such behavior through psychological interventions.