tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/disruptive-behavior-18729/articlesDisruptive behavior – The Conversation2018-11-12T19:02:41Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1065252018-11-12T19:02:41Z2018-11-12T19:02:41ZExpanding suspension powers for schools is harmful and ineffective<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244967/original/file-20181112-35554-jsc2zx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Suspending a student for wagging school likely wouldn't have the desired punitive effect.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>New <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2018.1540668">research</a> released today reveals extraordinary increases in suspensions and exclusions in Queensland state schools. But these increases don’t necessarily mean student behaviour is getting worse. </p>
<p>Education reform and changes in school policy can also contribute to rising rates of school exclusions and suspensions. Some groups of students can be more adversely affected by these changes than others. It is important to examine policy effects because suspensions and exclusions are more harmful than helpful and tend not to resolve the behaviour in question. </p>
<p>This research is relevant to all education sectors and states as rising school suspension rates are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/nsw-primary-school-suspensions-skyrocket-20180215-p4z0ee.html">not unique</a> to Queensland. Other states are implementing <a href="https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites-and-facilities/year-7-high-school">reforms</a> that could lead to similar problems. </p>
<h2>Why were changes to legislation made?</h2>
<p>In 2014, the Queensland government introduced <a href="https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-2013-059">legislation</a> to grant school principals greater disciplinary powers. Among these new powers were options to impose community service and <a href="http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/10/31/green-light-for-tougher-school-discipline-powers">Saturday detentions</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-suspending-or-expelling-students-often-does-more-harm-than-good-93279">Why suspending or expelling students often does more harm than good</a>
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<p>The Queensland government also changed the maximum length of short suspensions from five to ten days and axed the appeals process. Parents are now <a href="http://behaviour.education.qld.gov.au/disciplinary-decisions/disciplinary-consequences/Pages/suspensions.aspx">unable to appeal</a> short suspensions and, in the case of a long suspension (11 to 20 days), must apply to the Director-General of the Education Department.</p>
<p>One <a href="http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/10/31/green-light-for-tougher-school-discipline-powers">rationale</a> provided for the Queensland government’s change to legislation was school <a href="http://behaviour.education.qld.gov.au/disciplinary-decisions/disciplinary-consequences/Pages/exclusions.aspx">exclusions</a> were increasing and the government wanted to give principals more flexible options to respond to problem behaviour. In response to early <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2014/s4140718.htm">community concern</a> about emerging effects, the Education Minister promised schools would adjust and these changes would soon lead to a reduction in suspensions and exclusions. </p>
<p>They didn’t. </p>
<h2>Which students were most affected and why?</h2>
<p>Expanding principals’ disciplinary powers adversely affected students in all year levels in Queensland state schools but, particularly, high school students and those entering primary or secondary school for the first time. </p>
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<p>In this study, exclusions and suspensions were examined as a proportion of enrolments. This takes into account increases or decreases in student numbers which may affect the number of suspensions reported each year.</p>
<p>Between 2013 and 2014, suspensions in the first or Preparatory year of primary school rose by 51.28% (as a proportion of enrolments) and have continued to increase each year since. Suspensions in year seven increased by 19.92% in 2014 and again, by a whopping 82.54%, in 2015. These rates show no sign of slowing.</p>
<p>Although some of the increases may appear moderate, if suspensions were keeping pace with enrolment growth, there should be no proportional increase. In other words, suspension growth outstripped enrolment growth in the Queensland state school system, which suggests something other than student numbers is driving suspension increases. </p>
<p>Two other education reforms occurred in Queensland around the same time as the expansion of principals’ powers. The first involved a reduction in the school starting age which meant children entering Prep in 2015 can be as young as <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-more-parents-choosing-to-delay-when-their-child-starts-school-59375">four and a half years old</a> when they first begin formal schooling. The second reform, also in 2015, involved moving year seven from the primary to secondary schooling phase. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/help-disruptive-students-dont-just-suspend-them-28919">Help disruptive students, don't just suspend them</a>
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<p>The most powerful indication something other than student behaviour is driving suspension increases is the doubling of the suspension rate for year sevens in 2015. The only observable difference between the year sevens in that year and those every year before them is the school environment. </p>
<h2>Why do increases in suspension matter?</h2>
<p>Research shows suspension is associated with an increase in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X06001947">anti-social behaviour</a> and contact with the <a href="https://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/resources/projects/center-for-civil-rights-remedies/school-to-prison-folder/federal-reports/upcoming-ccrr-research/">criminal justice system</a>, due to a lack of adult supervision and greater freedom to associate with deviant peers. Contrary to popular belief, suspension does not promote <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15388220.2012.646641">behavioural change</a>. </p>
<p>This is because inappropriate behaviours need to be replaced, and replacement behaviours need to be explicitly taught. Sending kids home doesn’t give them the skills they need to do better next time or help <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel_Quin/publication/260125871_Students'_experiences_of_school_suspension/links/5755108808ae17e65eccd0c2.pdf">solve the problem</a> that led to the suspension. </p>
<p>There is <a href="https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Noltemeyer_Ward_2015_Meta-Analysis.pdf">conclusive evidence</a> suspension leads to academic failure and school dropout, even after controlling for prior achievement. This is because suspension <a href="http://youthjusticenc.org/download/education-justice/suspension-and-expulsion/Predictors%20of%20Suspension%20and%20Negative%20School%20Outcomes:%20A%20Longitudinal%20Investigation.pdf">weakens students’ sense of school belonging</a> and makes <a href="https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Noltemeyer_Ward_2015_Meta-Analysis.pdf">gaps in achievement</a> worse by taking vulnerable children <em>away</em> from teaching and learning, rather than providing them with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/help-disruptive-students-dont-just-suspend-them-28919">support and positive guidance</a> they need.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244971/original/file-20181112-116820-1mlpb3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Suspension can predict contact with the criminal justice system.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>Disadvantaged children, children with a disability, Indigenous children and children in <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/damaging-educational-prospects-for-kids-in-care-says-new-study-20181106-p50ec3.html">out-of-home care</a> are all significantly <a href="http://apo.org.au/node/32180">overrepresented</a> in school suspension statistics. These are the children who most need to be at school and for whom suspension is most likely to have serious and long-term negative impact.</p>
<p>Suspension is also known to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15388220.2012.652912">reinforce</a> problem behaviours. For example, if a student is persistently engaging in task avoidance, disruption or truanting, suspension will reward that behaviour. Rather than decrease the behaviour, suspension will increase it.</p>
<p>In short, there is no evidence to support the increased use of suspension and ample evidence governments should try to limit or even eradicate its use. </p>
<h2>When is suspension appropriate and when is it not?</h2>
<p>There are times when suspension is appropriate, such as when a student brings drugs or a weapon to school, or engages in physical violence resulting in injury. Hitting a teacher is never OK. But even here, it’s important to make sure a frightened five-year-old accidentally connecting with a teacher mid-meltdown is not construed as a deliberate act of violence.</p>
<p>Sustained <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/bullying-in-schools-11262">bullying</a> (cyber or otherwise) is another example where suspension may be appropriate. But <a href="https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Noltemeyer_Ward_2015_Meta-Analysis.pdf">in-school suspension</a>, where students are removed from their regular classes and required to complete their work in a supervised setting, is a better option than out-of-school suspension. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/excluding-indigenous-youth-from-schools-may-severely-increase-their-risk-of-incarceration-82500">Excluding Indigenous youth from schools may severely increase their risk of incarceration</a>
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<p>Extreme behaviours are not the only <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/118673/">reasons</a> principals suspend and there are instances where it’s done for the wrong reason. Suspending a student to appease teachers or other parents, or to “send a message” to other students are inappropriate uses of suspension. </p>
<h2>What are better ideas?</h2>
<p>Knowing the source of behaviour is the most important key to solving it. This is because similar behaviours can have very different <a href="https://bcotb.com/antecedents-the-a-in-the-abcs-of-behavioral-analysis/">antecedents</a> and responses that don’t address the root problem will fail. </p>
<p>For example, a common frustration for teachers is when students appear not to listen in class and continually ask for further explanation or don’t follow instructions. Careful observation and clarification with students will provide clues as to why some appear not to be listening. </p>
<p>Some may have a <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/selb/explainer-what-is-developmental-language-disorder/">language disorder</a> and may be experiencing difficulty understanding what was said. Others may have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jpepsy/article/32/6/643/1021192">attention difficulties</a> or <a href="https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-21/edition-5/working-memory-classroom">poor working memory</a> and may miss key information. </p>
<p>Such difficulties are common among students receiving suspensions. Without consistent, high-quality responsive teaching, these students will experience failure and frustration, leading to classroom disruption and conflict with teachers. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244968/original/file-20181112-35554-1mc6rec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Negative behaviours need to be replaced with positive ones, not just removed from the classroom.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>For students who have language disorders or attention difficulties, teachers can adopt <a href="https://www.ldaustralia.org/response-to-intervention.html">proactive</a> strategies that benefit all students. These strategies include: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>clear and consistent routines</p></li>
<li><p>well-designed seating plans </p></li>
<li><p>variations in verbal tone and pace with frequent pauses to allow students to process information</p></li>
<li><p>clear and simple verbal instructions delivered in logical sequence</p></li>
<li><p>visual aids to enhance students’ comprehension of verbally described concepts and/or complementary written instructions </p></li>
<li><p>regular reiteration of learning objectives, instructions, and classroom expectations </p></li>
<li><p>positive reinforcement of good behaviour and recognition of effort </p></li>
<li><p>providing one-to-one clarification and feedback to students who experience learning and behavioural difficulties</p></li>
<li><p>in-class pairing with another student who is a friendly and academically supportive role model.</p></li>
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<p>For some students these strategies will not be enough on their own and these students will need more intensive supports, such as <a href="https://campbellcollaboration.org/media/k2/attachments/0235_CJCG_Valdebenito_-_School_exclusions.pdf">targeted interventions</a> to enhance academic skills, counselling, mentoring/monitoring, and skills training for teachers. </p>
<p>Using proactive supports to address underlying issues, de-escalating conflict when it occurs, and using in-school suspension as a last resort will help address rising suspension rates. Governments should be acting in the best interests of everyone by backing approaches that have positive evidence and backing away from those for which there is none.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106525/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda J. Graham receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Financial Markets Foundation for Children, and the Queensland Government through their Education Horizon research grants scheme. </span></em></p>There is conclusive evidence that in most cases, suspension only reinforces negative behaviour.Linda J. Graham, Professor in the School of Early Childhood & Inclusive Education, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/902332018-01-30T18:55:24Z2018-01-30T18:55:24ZActing out, acting their age or something more serious? Dealing with difficult behaviour in children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202769/original/file-20180122-110113-1sve263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For almost one in seven Australians aged four to 17 years, behaviour is significant in nature, persists over time and tends to mismatch their developmental stage.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><hr>
<p><em>This <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/back-to-school-2018-48951">series</a> draws on the latest research on back to school transitions. In it, the experts explain how best to prepare children for school, and counter difficulties such as stress or bad behaviour.</em></p>
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<p>At some stage in every child’s life they will exhibit defiant, impulsive or even disobedient behaviours. </p>
<p>A lot of this is normal, but when behaviour disrupts a child’s everyday functioning, it becomes abnormal and parents should seek professional advice. Parents can make a difference by using evidence-based strategies to encourage positive behaviours. </p>
<h2>When does ‘normal’ behaviour become abnormal behaviour?</h2>
<p>For almost <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/9DA8CA21306FE6EDCA257E2700016945/$File/child2.pdf">one in seven</a> Australians aged four to 17 years, the occurrence of disruptive behaviour is significant in nature, persists over time and tends to mismatch with their developmental stage. </p>
<p>Signs the behaviours are more severe include if it impacts on the child’s functioning at school or with family and friends, and if it causes the child personal distress. These indicate the behaviour needs deeper investigation and the support of a specialised professional as early as possible. </p>
<p>There is disagreement about whether preschool-aged children can or should be diagnosed with disorders, given the vast range of behaviour considered “normal” at this age. Most disorders tend to be <a href="https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/220475857/fulltextPDF/F1F3EA137AB749DBPQ/1?accountid=36155">diagnosed in school aged children</a>, generally aged 10-14 years. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202776/original/file-20180122-110100-268oi5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">If a child’s own behaviour causes them distress, this may be a signal that they have more severe behaviourla issues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Where can parents go for help?</h2>
<p>Knowing where to start can be overwhelming when seeking support for severe and persistent disruptive behaviour. Avoid “Dr. Google” or websites claiming to provide symptom checkers, as they can give alarmist findings. </p>
<p>You should read and learn more about the various behavioural disorders to become informed, but always make sure you’re using reputable sources. These include <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/">beyondblue</a>, <a href="https://parents.au.reachout.com/">Reach Out</a>, <a href="https://headspace.org.au/">Headspace</a>, <a href="https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/">KidsMatter</a> and <a href="https://www.mindmatters.edu.au/">MindMatters</a>. </p>
<p>Some of the resources teacher educators refer to can be useful, such as <a href="http://www.responseability.org/">Response Ability</a>, which provides <a href="http://www.responseability.org/home/fact-sheets-and-podcasts/mental-illnessdisorders.html">fact sheets and podcasts</a> on various behavioural disorders. </p>
<p>If you’re still concerned after doing some reading, a visit to the GP is a good starting point. The GP can provide an initial assessment and refer the child and family to other professionals if additional assessment, treatment and support are necessary. </p>
<p>Access to specialists, such as a paediatrician or psychiatrist, requires a GP’s referral. Referrals are not required to visit a psychologist, but it’s best to visit the GP initially to help determine whether this is necessary. The GP can also refer to someone they highly recommend. </p>
<h2>Pitfalls of punishment</h2>
<p>Meltdowns, yelling and defiance or even being ignored by a child is usually normal – most likely, they are just acting their age. For the majority of children, instances of disruptive behaviour are minor in nature and infrequent. Importantly though, it’s possible to prevent difficult behaviour by using some effective, evidence-based strategies. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-i-dont-wanna-wahhhh-a-parents-guide-to-managing-tantrums-87175">'No, I don't wanna... wahhhh!' A parent's guide to managing tantrums</a>
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<p><a href="http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.3109/01612840.2010.498078?needAccess=true">Research</a> shows using positive strategies to address difficult behaviour is more effective than using punishment or coercion. Although you might notice an immediate response, punishment only temporarily stops the behaviour, and it’s likely the behaviour will appear again in the future. </p>
<p>Think about when you drive past a speed camera. What do most people do? They temporally slow down, but once they’ve passed the camera they usually speed up again. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202925/original/file-20180123-182945-19b1fkz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Punishment and can have a number of negative consequences, including rebellion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Punishment also has a number of unintended consequences, such as undermining relationships. It can lead to rebellion and reduces a person’s autonomy and problem-solving skills. </p>
<h2>Effective strategies to improve behaviour</h2>
<p>Using positive behavioural <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/01612840.2010.498078?needAccess=true">strategies</a> not only decreases unwanted behaviour, it promotes positive social behaviour and strengthens relationships. Some strategies will be more effective than others, depending on the child’s preferences. Try a few different strategies, and if one doesn’t work, stop using it. Move to another technique. Try some of these effective strategies:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>give attention through <a href="https://www-clinicalkey-com-au.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/#!/content/playContent/1-s2.0-S014521341730025X?returnurl=null&referrer=null">warmth and affection </a> when your child is behaving appropriately. Tell them what about their behaviour you like, and smile when praising. For example, “I really like when you listen carefully, we can get so much more done and get to the good things faster”</p></li>
<li><p>give <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/101/4/723">praise and rewards</a> immediately after the desirable behaviour is displayed, rather than waiting until later</p></li>
<li><p>think about what your child would value as a <a href="http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA18842556&v=2.1&u=uwsydney&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w">reward</a> so it has appeal and drives their motivation to be good. Would they prefer time to play on a device, a toy, food treat, or choice of a movie?</p></li>
<li><p>for particularly challenging behaviour, consider setting up a <a href="http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1080/13668250412331285127?needAccess=true">reward chart</a>. Reward your child frequently throughout the day by catching them being good and when you notice improvements, gradually reduce how often you reward them</p></li>
<li><p>offering <a href="http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.3109/01612840.2010.498078?needAccess=true">choices</a> helps them feel ownership over decision making and assist them in evaluating the consequences of their choices</p></li>
<li><p>know when to ignore, and when to intervene. It’s unrealistic to discipline every challenging behaviour, so ignore the little things. Consider overlooking the occasional mess, whining or slowness to respond to requests</p></li>
<li><p>give clear instructions and set <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/101/4/723.full.pdf">behaviour expectations</a>, such as “use a talking voice at all times” or “keep your hands and feet to yourself” and so on. <a href="https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1326316189?accountid=36155&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo">Negotiating the expectations</a> with your child will increase their commitment to follow them. You can maximise the effectiveness of setting rules by also negotiating rewards for successfully following them and consequences if they do not</p></li>
<li><p>before you leave the house, remind them of the rules and the rewards for following them</p></li>
<li><p>actively listen to your child by stopping what you’re doing and taking time out. Behaviour concerns often arise because the child is seeking your attention.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202780/original/file-20180122-110097-stb8sk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If bad behaviour continues after employing positive behavioural strategies, it’s time to introduce consequences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you find the behaviour persists after using a range of positive strategies, it’s time to introduce consequences. A continuum of consequences start with the least obtrusive strategies and incrementally increase in severity. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-best-ways-to-discipline-kids-34966">What are the best ways to discipline kids?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>First, use prompts such as eye contact or facial expressions to note disapproval. </p>
<p>Then, remind them of what behaviour you want to encourage. For example, “what should you be doing?” </p>
<p>Move closer to the child and use a calm matter-of-fact <a href="http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA18842556&v=2.1&u=uwsydney&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w">tone of voice</a>, or try using a whisper voice.</p>
<p>Redirect behaviour by giving choices. For older children, ask them what would be a better choice of behaviour. For younger children, give them constrained choices. For example, please put the lollies back in the bag or give all of the lollies to me. </p>
<p>Remind the child of the behaviour you do want to see.</p>
<p>Let them know they have three warnings and what the consequence is if they continue. Follow through on this, and don’t change the number of warnings or consequence. This means you need to be measured in the timing of your warnings and match the action to the consequence. Consistency is the key. </p>
<p>Finally, when used well, <a href="https://www-clinicalkey-com-au.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/service/content/pdf/watermarked/1-s2.0-S1876285916304077.pdf?locale=en_AU">time out</a> can be effective. Consider having an appropriate location for the time-out period. It needs to be quiet, private with minimal stimulation. </p>
<p>Act quickly after the behaviour occurs and give a concise reason for sending them to time-out. Prompt them to think about what they could have been doing differently. Ignore secondary behaviours while in the time-out period (like screaming, wriggling or pleading). </p>
<p>Avoid talking to them until the end of the time-out period. Two to three minutes is usually the amount of time. Before exiting, ask the child to remind you why they were put in time out and what they could have done differently. Catch them being good as soon as you can and remind them how much you love them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90233/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katrina Barker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It can be difficult to tell the difference between disordered and difficult behaviour, and the approach is different for both.Katrina Barker, Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/742192017-06-01T16:04:00Z2017-06-01T16:04:00ZCallous? Unemotional? Chances are you won’t be losing any sleep over it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168139/original/file-20170505-19142-v3ytsz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/425504842?src=HWbwZC-AgtMCkcnC5SsoUg-1-84&size=medium_jpg">Anton Watman/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve ever suffered from problems with your <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079209001178">emotions</a> or <a href="http://www.turkpsikiyatri.com/C19S4/en/373-381.pdf">behaviour</a>, you might have struggled with disturbed sleep, too. But are emotional or behavioural difficulties always associated with poor sleep? Are some types of people with difficulties actually <em>better</em> sleepers than your average person? <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsx070/3859074/Externalizing-Behaviors-and-Callous-Unemotional">New research</a> from our team suggests that this might just be the case. </p>
<p>Researchers have shown that a wide variety of emotional and behavioural problems are intricately interwoven with the way we sleep. Those suffering from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16259539">depression</a>, for example, may experience fragmented sleep or their sleep stages may appear unusual. <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2005-03315-026">Schizophrenia</a> has also been linked to taking longer to fall asleep and less time spent sleeping when in bed. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735803000321">Post-traumatic stress disorder</a> can involve a recurrence of distressing dreams related to the trauma as well as insomnia or restless sleep. Different aspects of sleep have also been associated with <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10578-014-0478-y">anxiety</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079211000712">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a> (ADHD). </p>
<p>Recently, research focus has turned to the association between poor sleep and <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/associations-between-diurnal-preference-sleep-quality-and-externalizing-behaviours-a-behavioural-genetic-analysis/F9D1EF785EC1525D7F8F650A45DE613A">disruptive behaviour</a>, including aggression and rule-breaking. Researchers have speculated that poor sleep may lead to aggression. It’s also possible that other disorders such as ADHD, which is common among those who are disruptive, could help to explain the association between disruptive behaviour and poor sleep. </p>
<p>Not all people with disruptive behaviour are the same. They can be distinguished by whether or not they have callous and unemotional traits, in other words whether they lack empathy and guilt. There is clearly a difference between someone who behaves badly and feels awful about it afterwards and someone who experiences no remorse or guilt. </p>
<p>We wanted to find out whether greater callous and unemotional traits might be one class of emotional and behavioural problem which was not associated with disrupted sleep. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12469/epdf">We had hypothesised this previously</a>, based on what we knew about these traits. Perhaps if you are not troubled by guilt or concern for others, you will sleep more soundly.</p>
<p>To test our hypothesis, we asked 1,556 young adults about their sleep as well as their disruptive behaviour, callous and unemotional traits and anxiety. As expected, those who slept poorly tended to report more disruptive behaviour. This is what other researchers have <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Meerlo/publication/221806004_Poor_sleep_as_a_potential_causal_factor_in_aggression_and_violence/links/00b4952cd17c0211c6000000.pdf">found, too</a>. </p>
<p>This association was partly explained by the anxiety reported by our participants. What was also noteworthy was that the association between poor sleep and disruptive behaviour was significantly stronger for those people who had low levels of callous and unemotional traits. If you had disruptive behaviour, but you also lacked empathy and guilt, your sleep was not disturbed to the same extent. We also found that callous and unemotional traits were not associated with poorer sleep quality.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/169137/original/file-20170512-3678-1svjz9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being callous and unemotional is associated with good quality sleep.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/571798390?src=8cCRRWtAdXJUbUkH9gLCJw-1-17&size=medium_jpg">WeAre/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Belt and braces</h2>
<p>We wanted to see if our results could be replicated, so we asked similar questions of another group of 338 participants, aged between 18 and 66 years of age. This time we went beyond simply asking questions. We asked some of the participants (43 of those tested) to wear watch-like devices with motion sensors to measure their sleep. </p>
<p>Again, we found that poorer sleep quality was associated with disruptive behaviour, but only when we asked the participants about their sleep. The association was not found when we measured sleep using the motion sensors. We’re not sure why this should be, but it could be that we did not have enough participants wearing motion sensors (only 43 did) to detect an association. </p>
<p>Perhaps the most striking finding from this sample was that, after considering the effects of age and sex of the participants, better sleep quality (assessed both by asking the participants questions and from some information provided by the motion sensors) was associated with higher levels of callous and unemotional traits. </p>
<p>Sleeping well has been an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/gwyneth-paltrow-predicts-clean-sleeping-as-big-health-trend-2017_uk_5857ce98e4b0e9baa877f83d">important health trend in 2017</a>. But we’re only just beginning to understand this elusive state and the way it is associated with our functioning during the day. A lot of attention has been paid to the way poor sleep has been associated with a number of different emotional and behavioural difficulties. But it may be that some risk traits and behaviour are actually associated with better sleep, and we need to do more work to understand if and why this is the case.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74219/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alice M. Gregory is Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is a Specialist Subject Editor (Sleep) for the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. She has previously received funding to support her work from multiple sources including the MRC, ESRC, Leverhulme Trust and the British Academy. She is currently writing a book (Nodding Off: Sleep from Cradle to Grave) to be published by Bloomsbury Sigma in Spring 2018. A few pages of the book provide similar information to that presented in this article. She has provided guidance and educational content for the website: <a href="https://www.babysleep.com.This">https://www.babysleep.com.This</a> is a freely available educational website providing tips to help with sleep in babies and young children. The website is partially supported by Johnson and Johnson, but they do not have any influence over content and do not advertise on it. Alice M. Gregory contributes to BBC Focus magazine. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Denis is a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. He has previously received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Essi Viding is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at University College London and adjunct faculty at Yale University. She is the Subject Editor of Royal Society Open Science and Associate Editor of Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. She currently receives funding from the MRC, ESRC, Royal Society, British Academy, NSPCC, and NIHR. </span></em></p>People with disruptive behaviour often have poor sleep. But not all…Alice M Gregory, Professor of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonDan Denis, Postdoctoral researcher, Harvard UniversityEssi Viding, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/739672017-03-24T09:43:01Z2017-03-24T09:43:01ZDangers of the witch hunt in Washington<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/162312/original/image-20170324-4938-idddo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers at hearing on allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As an anthropologist, I know that all groups of people use informal <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/anthropology/social-and-cultural-anthropology/witchcraft-sorcery-rumors-and-gossip">practices of social control</a> in day-to-day interactions. Controlling disruptive behavior is necessary for maintaining social order, but the forms of control vary.</p>
<p>How will President Donald Trump control behavior he finds disruptive? </p>
<p>The question came to me when Trump called the investigation of Russian interference in the election “<a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-russia-focus-political-witch-hunt">a total witch hunt</a>.” More on that later. </p>
<h2>Ridicule and shunning</h2>
<p>A common form of social control is ridicule. The disruptive person is ridiculed for his or her behavior, and ridicule is often enough to make the disruptive behavior stop. </p>
<p>Another common form of social control is shunning, or segregating a disruptive individual from society. With the individual pushed out of social interactions – by sitting in a timeout, for example – his or her behavior can no longer cause trouble.</p>
<p>Ridicule, shunning and other informal practices of social control usually work well to control disruptive behavior, and we see examples every day in the office, on the playground and even in the White House. </p>
<h2>Controlling the critics</h2>
<p>Donald Trump routinely uses ridicule and shunning to control what he sees as disruptive behavior. The most obvious examples are aimed at the press. For example, he refers to The New York Times as “<a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2017/02/new-york-times-ceo-takes-on-trumps-false-failing-claims-234541">failing</a>” as a way of demeaning its employees. He infamously <a href="http://www.people.com/politics/trump-denies-mocking-journalist-disability-watch-video/">mocked a disabled reporter</a> who critiqued him. </p>
<p>On the other side, the press has also used ridicule, calling the president <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/8/1631304/-The-world-has-taken-Donald-Trump-s-measure-toxic-incompetent-and-weak">incompetent</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/opinion/is-it-time-to-call-trump-mentally-ill.html">mentally ill</a> and even making fun of the <a href="http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a47296/donald-trump-hand-size-chart/">size of his hands.</a> </p>
<p>Trump has shunned the press as well, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/14/media/donald-trump-media-blacklist/">pulling press credentials</a> from news agencies that critique him. Press Secretary Sean Spicer used shunning against a group of reporters critical of the administration by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/white-house-sean-spicer-briefing.html">blocking them from attending</a> his daily briefing. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shook off the State Department press corps and headed off to Asia with <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/rex-tillerson-reporters-asia-state-236109">just one reporter invited along</a>. </p>
<p>Again, the practice cuts both ways. The media has also started asking themselves if they should shun Trump’s surrogates – such as Kellyanne Connway – <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/heres-an-idea-stop-putting-kellyanne-conway-on-tv">in interviews</a> or <a href="http://pressthink.org/2017/01/send-the-interns/">refuse to send staff reporters</a> to the White House briefing room.</p>
<h2>Accusations of witchcraft</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161639/original/image-20170320-9114-1hbuhky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Witches persecuted in Colonial era.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2003677981/">Library of Congress</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what happens when informal means of control don’t work?</p>
<p>Societies with weak or nonexistent judicial systems may control persistent disruptive behavior by accusing the disruptive person of being a witch.</p>
<p>In an anthropological sense, <a href="https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/witchcraft-oracles-and-magic-among-the-azande-9780198740292?cc=us&lang=en&">witches</a> are people who cannot control their evil behavior – it is a part of their being. A witch’s very thoughts compel supernatural powers to cause social disruption. If a witch gets angry, jealous or envious, the supernatural may take action, whether the witch wants it to or not. In other words: Witches are disruptive by their very presence.</p>
<p>When people are threatened with an accusation of witchcraft, they will generally <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Navaho-Witchcraft-Clyde-Kluckhohn/dp/0807046973">heed the warning</a> to curb their behavior. Those who don’t are often those who are already marginalized. Their behavior – perhaps caused by mental disease or injury – is something they cannot easily control. By failing to prove they aren’t a “witch” – something that’s not easy to do – they give society a legitimate reason to get rid of them. </p>
<p>When communities and their leaders turn to accusation of witchcraft as a means of social control, it usually leads to executions. From the 15th to the 17th century, as many as 100,000 accused witches were put to death <a href="http://www.routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/9781138808102/">in Europe</a>. And in Salem, Massachusetts, 20 people were executed during the notorious <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/">witch trials</a> of 1692 and 1693.</p>
<h2>Modern societies aren’t immune</h2>
<p>While few people today believe in witches that doesn’t mean that modern societies have given up the idea that there are people who are inherently disruptive or even dangerous to society. We might not always use the word “witch,” but the idea of purifying society of uncontrollable evil is still with us. </p>
<p>In the <a href="http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/jim-crow.html">Jim Crow South</a> blacks were seen as inherently disruptive to white society and formally segregated. In some cases, they were lynched. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143">Holocaust</a> followed the pattern of a modern witch hunt. The Nazis saw Jews as inherently dangerous and disruptive to social order. At first they humiliated and ridiculed them, then they segregated them in ghettos and finally they executed them. </p>
<p>One could argue that Americans are already accusing immigrants and Muslims of being the witches of our time. Both groups are seen by some in power as disruptive to social order by their very presence. Some even see them as inherently <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442565/muslim-immigration-ohio-state-stabbing-shows-dangers-lets-be-honest">dangerous</a>. Indeed, there are ongoing efforts to separate them from the United States, both by deportation and blocking their entry into the country.</p>
<p>Still, the U.S. has a strong judicial system, so why worry that Americans might turn to accusations of witchcraft – albeit by another name – to control behavior? </p>
<p>The worry is that the Trump administration has shown itself to be highly effective in exploiting informal means of social control to shape public discourse, and has <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-judge-attack-backfire-234649">repeatedly berated</a> the judicial system as ineffective or corrupt. </p>
<p>If the judicial system continues to block the administration’s efforts to control Muslims and immigrants, what will the administration do next?</p>
<p>We need to be mindful of the consequences of identifying people as inherently disruptive to social order, as unable to control an innate evilness, or as being, in anthropological terms, witches. When we start to see witches among us, the end game is death.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73967/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Neal Peregrine does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A ‘witch hunt’ is what Trump called investigations into his campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election. An anthropologist explains the connection between witch hunts and social control.Peter Neal Peregrine, Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies, Lawrence UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/743732017-03-16T03:05:05Z2017-03-16T03:05:05ZContested spaces: flash disruptions on the CBD street<p><em>This is the tenth article in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">Contested Spaces</a> series. These pieces look at the conflicting uses, expectations and norms that people bring to public spaces, the clashes that result and how we can resolve these.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Inner-city streets have historically been a site for challenges to the conventional, disrupting the flow of business suits and shoppers. Clashes can occur on many levels. </p>
<p>Noise, smells, pollution, garish billboards or even the jostle of bodies are aspects of the city that can excite or repel us. Among disruptive street users are the homeless sleeping rough with their bundles of belongings and graffiti artists painting murals in alleyways at night.</p>
<p>Our reactions to alternative practices on the street depend on what meanings we inscribe on the city, and what we are there for. Disruptions can challenge our sense of order and control, and so can make us feel insecure. However, many people are drawn to the city for the rush they experience from its diversity and possibilities.</p>
<h2>Occupy</h2>
<p>Some disruptions on the streets are overtly political, such as the Occupy Movement. Occupy Melbourne protesters camped in the city square in October 2011. I was part of this protest – a group of people giving voice to citizens who felt left out by the surging corporate profits on display in the city. </p>
<p>This clash of values was resolved after one week, when police gave two hours for the square to be vacated, before moving in with riot gear and pepper spray. </p>
<p>The next day, the Herald Sun published an article by Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjh9tar99TSAhXGKZQKHVlQB4oQFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Farchive%2Fnews%2Fselfish-rabble-got-what-it-deserved%2Fstory-fn7x8me2-1226174052823&usg=AFQjCNHFn2ZGI2EKUmFHdC44A81tFUoVyg">Selfish rabble got what it deserved</a>”. He wrote that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… the city must return to normal at some point. Our streets belong to everyone, not a self-appointed rabble.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The question remains, however, as to what is “normal” and whether a city’s strength lies in its ability to <a href="http://www.creativeclass.com/richard_florida/books/cities_and_the_creative_class">nurture diverse and creative uses</a>.</p>
<h2>Flash mobbing</h2>
<p>An example of a less overtly political form of disruption is flash mobs, with their playful pop-up challenges to order and restriction. Flash mobs began in the increasingly surveilled spaces of post-9/11 New York. </p>
<p>Flash mobs can be characterised as a unique form of game, using internet and mobile technologies in their organisation but playing out in public urban spaces. The idea is to “jam” public space like a disruption to a radio transmission.</p>
<p>Technologies are changing city space. Mobile devices have allowed the online world to become a part of the city street. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Wired-Youth-The-Social-World-of-Adolescence-in-the-Information-Age/Mesch-Talmud/p/book/9780415459945">Ilan Talmud and Gustavo Mesch</a> write that “the online/offline comparison is … becoming a faded and even false dichotomy”. The “entwining of people, place and software” creates complex new relationships, which reinterpret spaces. </p>
<p>Mobile technologies augment the city with a “secret” space known only to the gamers. The <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bunch-of-geeks-pokemon-go-players-told-to-stay-away-from-melbourne-golf-course-20160820-gqx7tf.html">Pokémon Go phenomenon</a> was a short-lived but very visible example of this augmented reality. Less obvious to the public is <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/play">geocaching</a>. </p>
<p>In the case of flash mobbing, remaining disguised before a timed eruption is essential.</p>
<h2>Don’t walk, dance!</h2>
<p>On Facebook I received an invitation from a guy I’d met at a party. It gave directions on how to participate in a “portable dance portal” at the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets, at 5.55pm on 5/5/11. </p>
<p>I jumped on the Flinders Street train, excited by the invitation and not wanting to be left out. In my carriage I noticed a girl dressed in brightly coloured, alternative clothes.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160865/original/image-20170315-11529-144p07h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A green light to cross the road, or to dance?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Twenty minutes later, I was dancing with her in the intersection of two of the busiest streets in Melbourne’s CBD. Like a storm appearing in the summer sky, swirls of people skipped unexpectedly into the intersection as the crossing lights changed to green. They emerged out of the peak-hour suits as though drawn by an invisible thread, cavorting and pirouetting, dancing to the tunes on their MP3 players until the lights changed to red. </p>
<p>I, caught in the current, felt a strange connection with my new friends, although no words were exchanged. The dancing went on for about an hour – the crowd swelling to a peak of about 150. It was not a large mob, but this made it perfect. </p>
<p>When the light turned red, the mob had the ability to melt into the sidelines, and appear again as if by magic at the sound of the walk signal. Astounded commuters stared, but continued in a frantic beeline for the next train. </p>
<p>I wondered whether seeing the spin of whirling dervishes made them question their hurry and consider joining in. Perhaps life doesn’t hinge on catching the next train…</p>
<p>This was my very first flash mob, up close and personal. According to Bill Wasik, the inventor of the phenomenon, flash mobbing was <a href="http://harpers.org/archive/2006/03/my-crowd/">dead before the end of 2003</a>. However, as reported by Giles Hewitt, flash mobs have taken on “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s913314.htm">a life of their own</a>” and this was confirmed for me on the streets of Melbourne in 2011 and again in 2017.</p>
<h2>Pussy hats</h2>
<p>On March 8, 2017, a group of Melbourne women, and a few men, took to the streets in a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-news/video-victoria-news/flashmob-at-melbourne-international-womens-day-march-20170308-4rgxq.html">“pussy hat” flash mob</a>. </p>
<p>They joyously sang the song Quiet, which has gained international popularity with guerrilla protesters <a href="https://www.icantkeepquiet.org/about/">#ICAN’TKEEPQUIET</a>, who gave an impromptu performance of the song in response to President Donald Trump’s inauguration.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/POpZb46OAUI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A pussy hat flash mob in Stockholm Central Station, one of the big ones held on International Women’s Day this year.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Melbourne mob was celebrating International Women’s Day. The group was a smiling, singing vision in pink and lavender, many wearing pussy ear hats like those worn in the Washington flash mobs.</p>
<p>Via creative and playful practices assisted by mobile technologies, flash mobs can provide spaces where the marginalised or unconventional can become visible and resist the conformity of suits and shoppers. </p>
<p>Flash mobs have the power to not only disrupt flows of traffic but also assumptions about norms of behaviour in public spaces. Their disruptive quality exists more in the psyche, in their ability to provoke questioning of public behaviour and to momentarily slow the city’s rush.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>You can find other pieces published in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74373/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Bird does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Political street protests and even the more playful flash mobs have the power to not only disrupt flows of traffic but also assumptions about norms of behaviour in public spaces.Susan Bird, Lecturer in Law, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/444952015-07-17T10:17:28Z2015-07-17T10:17:28ZLet children move around, stand or walk in the classroom. You’ll see the difference<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/88408/original/image-20150714-21728-1h1hmq5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why not let children stand and study?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/youbelonginlongmont/6955979583/in/photolist-bAFdot-bnLmrq-bnLhQW-qPZ9sD-qPZ9yv-qMGdu3-pTd5JZ-qPZ9xt-5b1NrV-tzbZYW-7QrxNC-5dsFUh-pXDMMV-61JGsc-dKTqiH-cDnEHW-oe5trh-pSZ7QE-qPZ9CD-qPUMjm-qPZ9Dv-qPZ9Gg-yQMEo-4J66tt-uw4cA1-qhJqVh-PgUqD-4QxVoG-at1Xmm-9ddrSa-89FwtD-br86US-6r39hb-92Rfvg-amMNGj-a5oF29-auPEkS-cwKZdo-bpZvVo-7qvHBL-7x2qL3-atB2VY-b73L1g-asH8ZA-5iPrjZ-tgVtg-52gJdC-9ueG3v-8Z4p83-hfh4wG">You Belong In Longmont</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The question of <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2015/01/13/is-sitting-the-new-smoking/">“is sitting the next smoking”</a> has been raised by many health experts in the past few months. <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/release23/en/">Many ailments</a>, including diabetes and heart disease, are known to be connected to an inactive lifestyle.</p>
<p>However, most of this attention has been focused on adult office workers and the negative health impact of sitting at work all day. </p>
<p>But, if our waistlines and even our longevity are connected to how active we are each day, is it not important to teach our children how to be more active, from an early age?</p>
<p>During the past few years, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2015.1058093">many</a> <a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/278732994_Reducing_children's_classroom_sitting_time_using_sit-to-stand_desks_findings_from_pilot_studies_in_UK_and_Australian_primary_schools">researchers</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23103223">around</a> the world have been <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21421945">evaluating</a> the <a href="http://www.academia.edu/13751659/Choice_and_Voice_Teacher_and_Student_Perspectives_of_the_Use_of_Standing_Desks_in_a_Secondary_Classroom">use</a> of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15288906">standing</a> height desks instead of the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22836531">more traditional</a> seated desks in school classrooms. </p>
<p>As director of the Ergonomics Center at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, I am constantly in corporate offices, K–12 classrooms and graduate classrooms where I teach. I also research better methods of classroom management and academic performance via health interventions. Ten years ago, while focusing primarily on adult office workers and the loss of non-exercise, physical movement in a work day, I wrote a book on the topic, <a href="https://thebackschool.net/store/products/suggested-reading/could-you-stand-to-lose-second-edition/">Could You Stand to Lose</a>?</p>
<h2>Standing in classrooms</h2>
<p>The idea came as we explored younger office workers’ health and noticed a lack of important postural habits, poor core strength and larger waistlines than what the older generations displayed when they entered the workforce. </p>
<p>It was at that time that we realized if we were going to affect the health of office workers, we would need to start much younger. Standing became a simple proxy for what we really need – more low-intensity, whole-body movement! </p>
<p>We asked, could we perform the same work while standing at a desk rather than always sitting at it? And we realized this type of change was possible. </p>
<p>We then turned our attention to adolescent health in classroom settings. </p>
<p>My team’s research in schools began in 2008, when we first looked at classroom movement as a way to deal with the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm">growing number</a> of obese children. In the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents.</p>
<p>So, in 2008 we began installing and testing stand-biased desks for K–4 students to allow upright movement during instruction and self-work. </p>
<p>We started this work in College Station, Texas with elementary students to avoid the difficulty of measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI) in children experiencing puberty. During those years, the BMI fluctuates so rapidly that it is tough to follow an intervention. </p>
<h2>Encouraging movement</h2>
<p>From a few classrooms in one school to dozens of classrooms spread over many schools, we continuously upgraded our sample size and research methods. Over the past seven years, we have placed several thousand students at standing desks for our studies in both elementary and high school. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/88690/original/image-20150716-5108-nbuaiq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Standing desks encourage movement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/traffas/5619585646/in/photolist-9yzR2G-96PdKX-28jFN6-9hHpjg-egnPHK-5BmVWa-5BmqW8-eHxpq-9YQAyw-9YMGon-5BmW2X-9Wydai-65jcRz-qELRuT-91GpNY-8k1Ts1-eb3gXy-i6ycVY-9D3AFF-b2KyeM-fDKqKu-833tVt-69Y1V1-c2Z2mq-4s3WXA-9YQBAC-9YQBNW-a6Rv9-8xNBB5-4tNyE-9YMFoZ-9YMEVD-9YMFjD-9YQz1C-7aJgCx-7BLEJA-6vfV8p-4wuANX-ddyTuo-ddyS9Z-ddyTCU-ddyS7t-ddyTr7-5PV4Ny-7JJoKs-5VNaUZ-6jund9-7b29pF-dG573-bov2cY">aarontraffas</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stand-biased desks allow students to sit (on a stool) or stand at will.</p>
<p>However, these products were a nonexistent category for mainstream school furniture vendors. So, we had to create our own designs based on teacher and student feedback. The market is now beginning to evolve worldwide as others weigh in with creative approaches such as standing tables for multiple students.</p>
<p>Classrooms with stand-biased desks are part of what we began to call an <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/9/9361">Activity Permissive Learning Environment (APLE)</a>, which means that teachers don’t tell children to “sit down,” “sit still,” or “don’t move around” during class.</p>
<p>Instead, they encourage movement such as standing, rocking, fidgeting and walking. Most traditional classrooms are lecture-style, with an instructor up front and students dealing with poorly fitting, hard plastic chairs for 80%–90% of their day.</p>
<h2>Impact of a standing desk</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/9/9361">Research</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00889">shows</a> that our bodies are so connected to our minds that our ability to focus on difficult cognitive tasks is directly linked to adequate physical activity.</p>
<p>In short, an active mind requires an active body.</p>
<p>Children become more restless and distracted with prolonged sitting. Active workstations <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22836531">reduce</a> disruptive behavior problems and increase students’ attention by providing them with a different method for completing academic tasks and breaking up the monotony of seated work. Students were less distracted while working at a standing desk. </p>
<p>This was not all: the activity also led to more burned calories. After two years of exposure to activity-permissive learning environments, students showed decreases in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html#percentile">Body Mass Index percentiles</a>.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22836531">own research</a> shows that students K–12 given a stand-biased desk burned 15%–25% more calories than their peers in traditional seated desks.</p>
<p>As a result of these encouraging health numbers, we turned our attention to student comfort and posture. Again, we <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=35796#.VahC3RNVikp">observed improvements</a>
on both measures over traditional seated furniture. </p>
<p>In addition to increasing energy expenditure, we now see that activity-permissive learning environments help to reduce disruptive behavior and increase students’ academic potential. Based on the number of parents contacting us for help with students doing homework, it appears the process can work as well at home as in school. </p>
<h2>Future of classroom design</h2>
<p>The success of stand-biased desks is nothing new. </p>
<p>Benjamin Franklin had a patent on a standing school desk over 200 years ago, and Thomas Jefferson worked at one that he designed himself. Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Napoleon Bonaparte and even Donald Rumsfeld <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/07/05/become-a-stand-up-guy-the-history-benefits-and-use-of-standing-desks/">have all worked</a> at standing desks to create some of their most memorable work. </p>
<p>Although <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=16PSBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA379&lpg=PA379&dq=us+worker+sedentary+time&source=bl&ots=FIkuZKAi9m&sig=HtBkqLIBuSajrNamYLvSctq7GcU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CF0Q6AEwB2oVChMI0dPc55nexgIVAy6ICh2BUgE2#v=onepage&q=us%20worker%20sedentary%20time&f=false">research and history</a> have shown that stand-biased desks have many favorable effects, most Western workers and students are still engaged in seated desk work for the majority of their day. </p>
<p>Our work in schools with thousands of K–12 students has included looking at stand-biased desks, exercise balls, several types of wobble stools and even swinging footrests and treadmills. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/278732994_Reducing_children's_classroom_sitting_time_using_sit-to-stand_desks_findings_from_pilot_studies_in_UK_and_Australian_primary_schools">Many</a> <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09613218.2015.1058093?journalCode=rbri20">other</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23103223">researchers</a> around the world have also been examining the use of classroom design to alter physical activity patterns, with leadership coming from Australia, New Zealand and England. </p>
<p>Teachers around the globe want better classroom management, better student engagement and, ultimately, improved learning.</p>
<p>New approaches for addressing physical inactivity that are in harmony with children’s natural habits, tendencies and engagement could be the way to go.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/44495/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Benden consults for several furniture related corporations and owns shares in the faculty led startup company, PositiveMotion LLC, He has multiple US Patents for furniture items and thru his job at Texas A&M has licensed several inventions to furniture companies. He received research funding from the CDC and the NIH for research mentioned in the article.</span></em></p>Aren’t there huge health benefits to staying physically active, for adults? Why should it be any different for children?Mark Benden, Associate Professor & Director of the Ergonomics Center, Texas A&M UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.