Behavioral issues among students are inevitable in many countries around the world.
However, there are instances wherein student behavior is already severe and affecting not just their learning process but also other students’. Several reasons are attributed to this and some measures can be put forward to address this issue.
When talking about behavioral issues, this could include bullying, absenteeism, inattentiveness or fighting with other students. Knowing the causes of these can help in determining the possible solutions. Severe problems on student behavior can be caused by the following:
- Family problems. This is the common factor affecting students’ behavior. Students who are experiencing family problems tend to behave differently at school. They may release their anger by fighting with their classmates or they may have difficulties concentrating on their subjects.
- Poor parental guidance. It common nowadays that both parents are working and they only have little or no time at all with their children. This can result to juvenile delinquency as students are not properly supervised by their parents. They cannot be informed if what their actions are right or wrong. Parents cannot observe their children’s behavior and correct them if necessary. Because of this, children have the perception that they are free to do what they wish and that all their actions are acceptable.
- Peer pressure. Once students enter schools, they have to make friends to avoid being lonely or outcast. They need to have a sense of belonging. However, their choice of circle of friends is not always favorable. It is common among teenagers to want to belong to a group. Some would want to belong to famous groups and this is where the problem starts. Groups often fight at school or bully others. Some may not want to fight but because the leader of a group said so, they are forced or encouraged just to stay in the group.
It is important to deal with severe student behaviors so that every student at school can have a healthy environment. This could result to better learning and avoid drop outs. The following are some ways that can be implemented to improve behaviors of students.
- Teachers should have a one-on-one talk with every student and assess if they are having some issues. This way, teachers can quickly identify student needs and counsel them if necessary.
- Teachers should also talk to the parents of students involved in fights, bullying or lack of focus in school. This will make parents aware of their children’s behavior and help them improve. Involving parents when talking to children can also inform parents what they can do to make their children behave better and give them more attention
- Students should be given behavioral lessons to make them realize their actions and know the consequences, especially for those who are bullying. Some countries are already including subjects about having good manners into their curriculum.