Distressed or Deliberately Defiant? Managing Challenging Student Behaviour due to Trauma and Disorganised Attachment

It is not unusual for educators today, whether in the early childhood, primary or secondary sectors, to be confronted with severely challenging student behaviour - students who fly into unexplained violent and oppositional outbursts with little warning; who respond poorly to tried-and-true behaviour management processes. Such behaviour has considerable impact on the delivery of teaching and learning programs and the emotional wellbeing of the teachers themselves as well as raising safety risks for the entire school community.

This book explains the basis for such behaviour as the neurological, physiological and behavioural outcomes of 'disorganised attachment' due to prolonged exposure to a traumatic home life and provides practical advice to educators on ways that schools can effectively manage these students. By examining the science behind attachment theory, the neurobiology of behaviour, and the manifestation of disorganised attachment in the school context, this book will help educators:

• minimise such challenging behaviour
• manage crises and disciplinary responses such as suspension and expulsion
• improve student compliance
• enhance education and overall wellbeing
• deal with parents

Covers early childhood, primary and secondary settings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Judith Howard is currently a senior lecturer and researcher with the Queensland University of Technology. She has an extensive career history with state schooling in Queensland and commenced working for QUT in 2015. She has worked as a classroom teacher (primary), school guidance officer and behaviour support specialist. For a time she worked for the Centre for Behaviour Support – with a team overseeing state policy development and school practice regarding student behaviour. She has most recently held the role of Regional Manager for Behaviour Support for the North Coast Region of DETE, managing staff and a broad range of programs delivering behaviour support services for over 200 schools. Judith’s teaching interests include child and adolescent development, student behaviour, school and classroom behaviour management behaviour management policy development and inclusive practice in schools. Judith’s main research interest involves the impact of early childhood attachment difficulties and trauma on the developing child and on future (primary and secondary) school behaviours. Through her research, training seminars and consultancy with educators, she continues to encourage schools to adopt a neuroscience informed approach to the behaviour management of trauma surviving students.