Challenging

behaviour

Challenging behaviour also known as

behaviours which challenge, is defined as
"culturally abnormal behaviour(s) of such
intensity, frequency or duration that the
physical safety of the person or others is
placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour
which is likely to seriously limit or deny
access to the use of ordinary community
facilities". "Ordinarily we would expect the
person to have shown the pattern of
behaviour that presents such a challenge
to services for a considerable period of
time. Severely challenging behaviour is not
a transient phenomenon."[1]

Challenging behaviour is most often,

though not exclusively exhibited by
individuals with learning developmental
disabilities, individuals with dementia or
other mental health needs, such as strokes
or acquired brain injuries, individuals with
psychosis and by children, although such
behaviours can be displayed by any
person.
Types
Common types of challenging behaviour
include self-injurious behaviour (such as
hitting, headbutting, biting, scratching),
aggressive behaviour (such as hitting
others, headbutting, shouting, swearing,
screaming, scratching others, spitting,
biting, punching, kicking), inappropriate
sexualised behaviour (such as public
masturbation or groping), behaviour
directed at property (such as throwing
objects and stealing) and stereotyped
behaviours (such as repetitive rocking or
echolalia).
Misuse
The term "challenging behaviour" has
become subject to widespread misuse,
most often as a euphemism for violent or
aggressive behaviour. In educational
settings it is often used to refer to acts of
disobedience, defiance, or other non-
compliance with authority. This is not what
the term was originally intended to refer to.
Increasingly professional groups are
adopting alternative terms for example
"behaviour of concern".[2]

Causes
Challenging behaviour may be caused by
many kinds of factors, including:

biological (pain, medication, the need for

sensory stimulation)
social (boredom, seeking social
interaction, the need for an element of
control, lack of knowledge of
community norms, insensitivity of staff
and services to the person's wishes and
needs)
environmental (physical aspects such
as noise and lighting, or gaining access
to preferred objects or activities)
psychological (feeling excluded, lonely,
devalued, labelled, disempowered, living
 up to people's negative expectations)

Challenging behaviour may also simply be

a means of communication. A lot of the
time, challenging behaviour is learned and
brings rewards and it is very often possible
to teach people new behaviours to achieve
the same aims. Behaviour analysts have
focused on a developmental model of
challenging behaviour.[3]

Experience and research suggests that

what professionals call "challenging
behaviour" is often a reaction to the
challenging environments that services or
others create around people with
developmental disabilities, and a method
of communicating dissatisfaction with the
failure of services or others to listen for
what kind of life makes most sense to the
person, especially where services or
others create lifestyles and relationships
that are centred on what suits them or the
service and its staff rather than what suits
the person.

Challenging behaviour can often be viewed

as a ‘behavioural equivalent’ of a mental
health problem. However, research
evidence indicates that challenging
behaviours and mental health problems
are relatively independent conditions.[4]
A common principle in behaviour
management is looking for the message
an individual is communicating through
their challenging behaviour: "All behaviour
has meaning". This is a core in the
functional analysis process.

Children communicate through their

behaviour, especially those who have not
acquired language and vocabulary skills to
tell the adult what the problem is.

In adults with developmental disabilities

certain types of challenging behaviour can
predict contact with police and hospital
admission.[5]
Behaviour response cycle
Challenging behaviours may be viewed as
occurring in a cycle:

Trigger
Escalation
Crisis
Recovery

Analysis of this cycle provides a

foundation for using a variety of strategies
to minimise the triggers of challenging
behaviour, teach more appropriate
behaviours in response to these triggers,
or provide consequences to the
challenging behaviour that will encourage
a more appropriate response. Behavioural
strategies such as Applied Behaviour
Analysis, operant conditioning and positive
behaviour support use similar approaches
to analysing and responding to challenging
behaviours. Recently, Eidetic Model of
Growth (EMG) has been used with
promising results.

See also
Conduct disorder
Operant conditioning
Oppositional defiant disorder
Positive behaviour support
Notes
1. Emerson, E. 1995. cited in Emerson, Eric
(2001). "Challenging behaviour" .
Challenging Behaviour: Analysis and
Intervention in People with Severe Learning
Disabilities. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-521-
79444-2.
2. Chan, J. et al 2012. Is it time to drop the
term ‘challenging behaviour’? "Archived
copy" (PDF). Archived from the original
(PDF) on 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2014-08-08.

3. Roane, Henry S.; Ringdahl, Joel E.;

Vollmer, Timothy R.; Whitmarsh, Ernest L.;
Marcus, Bethany A. (2007). "A Preliminary
Description of the Occurrence of Proto-
injurious Behavior in Typically Developing
Children". Journal of Early and Intensive
Behavioral Intervention. 3 (4): 334–47.
4. McCarthy, Jane; Hemmings, Colin;
Kravariti, Eugenia; Dworzynski, Katharina;
Holt, Geraldine; Bouras, Nick; Tsakanikos,
Elias (2010). "Challenging behavior and co-
morbid psychopathology in adults with
intellectual disability and autism spectrum
disorders". Research in Developmental
Disabilities. 31 (2): 362–6.
doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2009.10.009 .
PMID 19954927 .
5. Tsakanikos, Elias; Underwood, Lisa;
Sturmey, Peter; Bouras, Nick; McCarthy,
Jane (2011). "Psychometric properties of
the Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS)
for behavior problems: An independent
investigation". Research in Developmental
Disabilities. 32 (2): 653–8.
doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.12.004 .
PMID 21208774 .

External links
Center for Evidence-Based Practice:
Young Children with Challenging
Behavior Raise the awareness and
implementation of positive, evidence-
based practices in managing
challenging behaviours
Behaviour Support Services: Children
and Young Adults with learning
disabilities
Challenging Behaviour specifically
related to individuals with severe
learning disabilities The Challenging
Behaviour Foundation supporting carers
and professionals
Support and Training for group and
individuals dealing with behavioural
issues
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