PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH CONDUCT DISORDERS: A MULTIMODE REMEDIATION PROGRAMME WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STROKES

Article by Anilakumari M.C., Research Scholar; Supported by Dr. Celine Pereira, Reader, SPS

If you touch me soft and gentle

If you look at me and smile at me

If you listen to me talk sometime, before you

I will grow, really grow.

Children will not grow normally without the touch of others. This is normally met in the everyday intimate transactions of dressing, bathing, powdering, etc that nurturing parents give their babies. Children, who are neglected, ignored, or for any reason do not experience enough touch, suffer mental and physical deterioration even to the point of death. As the child grow older the early primary hunger for actual physical touch is modified and becomes recognition hunger. Some children need a great deal of recognition to feel secure. This hunger can be felt anywhere at home, in the classroom or on the job.
School and peer factors become important in the early to middle school years in the development of Conduct Disorders. 40% of peer rejected children are aggressive and at high risk to develop antisocial behaviour in adolescence.
Conduct Disorders are characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of dissocial, aggressive or defiant conduct. Such behaviours include major violations of age-appropriate social expectations.

The two types of CD linked to age are
· Childhood onset conduct disorder-
· Adolescent Onset Conduct Disorder
Symptoms
· Physical attacks of others (peers and adults)
· Verbally abuse
· Destroys property
· Sets fires
· Cruel to animals
· Revengeful
· Breaks established rules
· Does not follow commands
· Argues
· Does the opposite of what is requested.

They exhibit behavioural deficits in moral, social and academic aspects also. Appears to have no conscience, lacks concern for the feelings of others.
In social behaviours :-
Has few friends
Lacks affection or bonding with others
Acts aggressively and impulsively
Does not act cooperatively
Poor communication
Does not know how to accept other peers and adults socially.
Children who have shown at least three of the above behaviours over 6 months should be evaluated for possible conduct disorder.
Conduct Disorder is common during childhood and adolescence. It is more prevalent in urban than rural settings. 6-15% of boys and 2-9% of girls under the age of 18 years have the disorder. It is common among boys than among girls.
Causes
Factors account for children’s anti-social behaviour and conduct disorder can be categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic factors are genetic
Extrinsic factors are
a. Parental factors
- Parents faulty child rearing practices
- Parental psychopathology
- Child abuse
- Alcoholism

b. Socio-cultural factors
- Socio economic deprivation
- Violence in the environment
- Media influence
c. Psychological factors
Children brought up in Chaotic negligent conditions generally become angry, disruptive, demanding and less tolerance for frustration.
Essential component of effective programmes for students with CD includes Strokes and Multimode Remedial Programme (MRP) in both school and non-school environment.
Multimode Remedial Programmes that use family and community resources to control CD. The four dimensions of MRP are
- Parent Management Training (PMT)
- Social –cognitive and Problem Solving skills Training
- School based interventions
- Community based interventions
Three modes of community based interventions are
Weekly consultations between mental health centre teachers and school administrators.
Weekly classroom meeting with children, teachers and special educators, social workers
Monthly sessions with parents of special attention needy students.
STROKES are “ any act recognizing another persons presence” - Such as a word, a look, a gesture, or any act that says, “I know that you are there” A smile, a nod, a word, a frown, a gesture-gradually and eventually replace some touch strokes. These will stimulate the brain.
The classifications of strokes are
· Verbal or non-verbal
· Positive or negative
· Conditional or unconditional
· Counterfeit strokes

Objectives

1. To check the symptoms of conduct disorder in primary school students.
2. To find out the effectiveness of Multimode Remedial Programme especially strokes on students with conduct disorder
3. To find out the attitude of parents and teachers towards the new approach and need for getting awareness.

Methodology

Survey cum experimental method is used for the study. The sample of study comprised of 23 primary school students with symptoms of conduct disorder. Their age ranged between 5-12 years. In addition to this 21 parents of these children were also selected as sample.
Tools and approaches used to collect the data were checklist, behavioural observations, informal interviews, strokes, and multimode remedial programme.
The checklist was used to find out the symptoms of CD and it consists of 7 segments such as
· Socially inappropriate behaviour
· Destructive
· Disrespectful of adult authority
· Physically aggressive or cruel
· Dishonest
· Drug and alcohol abuse
· Difficult at home

Discussion of Results

After the implementation of the strokes and multimode remedial programme the following improvements were observed.
1. Multimode remediation programmes that were used by family and community resources bring about best results in efforts to control conduct disorder behaviour.
· In PMT by redirecting interactional processes between the parent and the child, the appropriate behaviours improved in children
· Problem solving skill training helped to deal anger provoking situation and their impulsive behaviour
· Community based three modes of interventions to strengthening the ability of community to promote social behaviour were supported by parents, teachers and they strongly recommended it.
2. Parents opined that the awareness training helped them to educate the child and family about the behavioural problem and to identify and manage stressors

Conclusion

The Strokes and Multimode Remedial Programme helped in developing a healthy acceptance of the disorder without loss of self-esteem and to face the peer rejection. It also helped to reduce the stress on children as well as family environment and reduced feeling of helplessness and frustration. Thus

Children aren’t careless
But they are cared less.

Reference:

1. Bootzin, Richard R. et al. (1993). Abnormal Psychology (6th Ed.). New York: Mc Graw Hill, Inc.
2. Schickedanz, Judith A. et al. (1992). Understanding Children. California: Mayfield Publishing Company.
3. Bullock, Lyndal M. (1992). Exceptionalities in Children and Youth. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.