Aggressive Behavior In Pre School Children And Young People Essay

Aggressive Behavior In Pre School Children And Young People Essay According to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, children as young as preschoolers are capable of aggressive behavior. Children younger than five years of age can display different forms of aggressive behavior. These different behaviors can come in the form of temper tantrums, fighting, pushing and even actions that are directed toward harming animals. The behaviors that are exhibited should be taken seriously as they tend to carry over into adolescence and many times adulthood. Aggressive behaviors should be addressed in children because their potential for harming others or themselves is high. Young children, younger than the age of five, who are prone to pushing, biting and hitting, in some cases, display this type of aggressive behavior in order to get attention. Others develop behavior that stems from frustrations of toilet training, illness, hunger, moving, divorce and even the birth of a new sibling. Some of this behavior tends to disappear as the child gets older and begins to develop a greater level of social skills and are able to deal with not being the sole recipient of attention. Educators and parents alike who learn to recognize the onset of these behavioral tendencies have a better chance of addressing the behavior and getting the proper attention in order to attempt to prevent these behaviors from escalating. Children who have not learned to deal with aggression by the age of four or five often need to have intervention sessions that are conducted by mental health professionals. Some children respond to therapies alone while some need therapeutic sessions and medications to control their aggressions. Being able to recognize some of the signs of potential aggressive behavior in young children are related to those who do not often interact with others, children who do not listen or follow Aggressive Behavior in Pre-School Age Children 2 Directions, those who seem unattached and do not make eye contact; these signs tend to signal a child may develop aggressive behavior and should be watched for in an environment like a classroom. Why Young Children Show Aggression Most young children who push, hit or grab are doing so to get attention and get their way, according to the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP). Many children between the ages of one and five have not developed the skills necessary to communicate properly to make their feelings and desires known, and are more likely to experience frustration in group settings, or if the child has limited motor control and verbal skills. This frustration comes out in the form of aggression, writes the CCHP, and can be exacerbated by child stresses like hunger, toilet training, illness or tiredness. Still others may display aggressive behavior following a major environmental change such as a new sibling, a divorce or a move. Photo Credit temper image by Lisa Eastman from Fotolia.com Children as young as preschoolers are capable of exhibiting violent behavior, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Aggressive and violent behavior can be upsetting to everyone around a child, and should always be taken seriously regardless of how young the child is. Because children who are aggressive often continue to have related problems as they get older, it is important to address behavioral problems early.