Proactive responses to offensive behaviours in out-of-home care

Abstract

Children and young people in out-of-home care experience significant challenges in the adjustment process. All family members are affected by the transition of a child or young person into the family and so carers require a unique set of skills and strategies to respond appropriately. This paper is the second in a series of four papers examining responses to a range of challenging behaviours seen in children and young people placed in out-of-home care contexts. The first paper explored strategies that carers could employ to deal with oppositional behaviours identified in the child or young person. This paper considers offensive behaviours that may be evidenced in children and young people, and practical approaches which carers can utilise to respond proactively to such behaviours.

Proactive responses to aggressive behaviours in out-of-home care

“…This paper is the third in a series of four papers underpinned by Edelbrock's model of antisocial behaviours (Edelbrock 1985) which explores aggressive behaviours within the context of out-of-home care. The first and second papers focussed on oppositional and offensive behaviours respectively (Larmar & Clark 2009a, 2009b. According to Edelbrock's conceptualisation, antisocial behaviours exist on a developmental continuum from less extreme oppositional responses, that may progress to offensive behaviours, aggressive behaviours and, finally, delinquent behaviours (Edelbrock 1985;Sanders, Gooley & Nicholson 2000).…”

Proactive responses to delinquent behaviours in out-of-home care

“…With the significant increase in children and young people entering out-of-home care in Australia, and the many and varied complexities associated with this population (AIHW 2006), the need for ongoing support that is tailored to the specific needs of the young person is critical (Butcher 2004;Carter 2002) (for a further elaboration on out-of-home care within Australia, see Larmar & Clark 2009). This is the final paper in a series of four which focuses on a range of challenging behaviours in young people in out-ofhome care (Larmar & Clark 2009a, 2009b, 2010. The series has drawn on a model by Edelbrock (1985) that serves to explain the development of antisocial behaviours in children and adolescents.…”