Learning Outcomes
- Understand common behaviour triggers and cycles
- Apply de-escalation best practices
- Reinforce positive behaviours constructively
Understanding Root Causes
Behaviours exhibited by some foster children like habitual bedwetting long after age appropriate continence milestones, excessive hoarding or stealing of food items irrespective of abundant provision, sudden disproportional violent outbursts during minor disagreements or even poor academic performances despite no intellectual disability commonly stem from long pervasive emotional needs denial, deep-seated instabilities from past abuses, identity conflicts arising due to fluid disruptive losses or sustained inability fostering required levels of safety assurances amidst managing prolonged lives in foster care uncertainty.
Meaningfully addressing problematic conduct necessitates patient assessments allowing the surfacing of feelings of anxiety, turmoil, or despondency to trigger actions beyond reflexively resorting to confrontation, scolding, or punishment which risks further aggravating emotional wounds from years of negative feedback conditioning.
For illustration, a child resorting to habitual lies could be navigating distrusts from previously undependable environments. Another tending towards obsessive cleanliness perhaps alludes to desires of purging abusive touches. Underlying anxieties around unpredictable existence hallmarked through children’s years in foster homes can disrupt any sense of stability or security needed, which must be taken into account.
De-escalation Best Practices
In moments of visible agitation as signalled through raised vocal pitch, visibly aggressive body language and heightening physical activity levels - the most effective set of de-escalation best practices proven include:
- Deliberate pausing to take a few calming deep breaths before responding helps modelled desired composure.
- Temporarily moving to another room or seating location maintains needed reflective space. This distancing aims to convey care for child through self-regulation demonstration rather than signalling punitive isolation.
- Warm-humoured redirection often alleviates heightened emotional states more effectively than direct scolding risks to further aggravating charged states through antagonising losing face.
- Active empathetic listening thereafter supports constructive sharing once excess energies subside, facilitating root causes analysis rather forced conformity which can yield further resentment. Explorative questions enable specificity.
Reinforcing Desired Conduct
Manifestations of positive behaviours - be it providing solace to a visibly distressed child or rewarding diligently completing chores without reminders through the week, or maintaining adequate hygiene habits signify growth deserving of praise, privileges, and motivation reinforcement.
- Specific descriptive praises like expressing admiration of a child being ready early for school, anticipating traffic delays, nurtures pride and consolidates reliability wanting repetition.
- Earning activity privileges like mobile gaming times expansion comes with bounded expectations of environmental management during post-dinner clean-up times through demonstrating patience.