FEATURE FOCUS: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING


This may well be a reasonable course of action, but what happens next is vital.


There is little more counterproductive than leaving a child, or young person, in a distressed state, in an ‘isolation room’ or similarly segregated space, and expecting them to ‘calm down and think about their behaviour’. They do not have the necessary tools needed to follow those instructions or modify their behaviour. So how can we help these children?


A relational, Trauma Informed (TI) approach, recognises that the child or young person’s behaviour is communicating an unmet need, and that to begin to address their behaviour, we must first understand what fuels it.


When a child is in a state of toxic stress, they are operating at a hypervigilant level with their nervous system responding neurobiologically to information from the environment. They have a low reaction threshold, and misinterpret cues - a neutral face can be perceived as aggressive, fearful expressions can be seen as angry (Dr. SW Porges).3 In this state, they have no conscious control over their reactions, so it is impossible for them to self-regulate.


Protect


The first step to de-escalating the stress is to remove the child from the situation, to a space that is calm. But this is not a punitive measure, it is done in a non-shaming way, protecting their dignity while they are in the super-heightened state of anxiety, stress and anger. Very often, in the moment, the child is completely unaware of their actions.


Unlike being sent to an isolated place, the child or young person is always taken ‘somewhere with someone’ – to a quiet place with an Emotionally Available Adult (EAA) or a present, focussed care- giver, who can help them self-regulate and lessen the stress levels.


Relate The EAA is non-judgemental, empathic and


curious about what happened, and accepts and validates the child’s emotions beneath the behaviour – ‘I can hear that it is very annoying when that happens. Yes, I can see why that might make you very angry.’ They create a connection with the child or young person before any attempt to address the issue – connection before correction.


Regulate


The child must feel safe to move from the highly stressed fight, flight or freeze response, to social engagement, when they can be supported to co- regulate. The EAA co-regulates with the child or young person, helping them to relax and be calm. Often play-based or art-based activities are used to help decrease the high levels of stress hormone the child or young person is experiencing. This does not reward poor behaviour, it is a necessary developmental experience to enable the capacity to reflect


Reflect


Often, children and young adults who have experienced ACEs or other trauma, suffer from alexithymia and are unable to identify, explain or describe their emotional state. They have no previous experience vocalising or talking about what is happening to them, or what has happened in the past. They literally don’t have the words to explain it. The EAA helps them to mentalize - interpret and understand their behaviour psychologically, in terms of underlying thoughts, feelings, wishes, and intentions. Once the child is regulated, with the support of the EAA, they begin to reflect and ‘unpick’ what happened, running through the series of events and their thoughts, feelings and behaviour.


Repair


It is important to repair the relationship. The EAA models how to take responsibility for their part in what happened – ‘I’m sorry I had to remove you from the classroom, I imagine that was difficult for you, but I could really see you weren’t


managing.’ Where appropriate, together with the EAA, they can reflect on how to put right what went wrong. This is instigated by the child at an appropriate time and allows for reconnection and recovery, re-joining the class and reconnecting with their teacher. It is not about forcing a child to apologise. This can be detrimental and further shames the child.


Over time, this five step process provides the child or young person with the tools they need to understand and address their own behaviour. It gives them the voice to express the situation and the way they feel.


As more is learnt about the child and potential stress ‘hot-spots or triggers are identified, self- regulation routines and interventions can be put in place to counter potential outbursts. Does it happen in a particular place or time of day, or with a particular person? If a child is arriving at school each day dysregulated, regulation routines in the morning and at various times during the day, help them to counter the stress and prepare them for learning. Building a picture of the child’s needs provides opportunities for intervention and support.


The TI relational approach to behaviour is not at all ‘woolly’ – Trauma Informed schools have boundaries, limits and rules but they are held more gently. The high expectations for behaviour are promoted through natural consequences rather than imposed sanctions, so discipline involves learning. Children are given the opportunity to put things right – ‘I did a bad thing, but I can make it better’. Rather than being labelled through continual public shaming as ‘I am a bad thing’, with the accompanying impact on self-esteem, wellbeing and mental health. Traditional behaviour strategies have become ingrained in our school systems, however they repeatedly fail the most vulnerable. Sanctioning a more advantaged student may have the required effect, but it only serves to escalate feelings of frustration and shame in the dysregulated child who experiences the shaming situation on a regular basis. It becomes part of the school routine, leading to school avoidance - who wouldn’t want to avoid that if possible – suspension and eventual exclusion.


If a student is facing challenges in Mathematics or English, we go to great lengths to support their understanding so they can develop the necessary skills. Why are we not doing the same with behaviour?


School behaviour policies which ultimately end in exclusion, are resulting in an ever rising number of children – even those in the first years of primary education – being thrown away by an education service whose sole aim is to prepare them for their future. It’s time for change.


1 *Mental health and behaviour in schools (publishing. service.gov.uk)


2 Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - A guide for headteachers and school staff final draft.docx (publishing.service.gov.uk)


3 The polyvagal theory: New insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system - PMC (nih.gov)


September 2022 www.education-today.co.uk 33


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