Behavior problems in children

The main reason why the parents went to the child and adolescent psychologist's office are behavioral problems. They are usually children who find it difficult to internalize the rules and limits, find it difficult to obey, question authority, challenge parents ... and these are often overwhelmed by the situation, and see that they need help to solve the problem, or they think there has to be an easier way to achieve good daily functioning.

How to treat a child who has a bad behavior

In these cases, the success of the therapy is that the parents get involved. When parents follow the guidelines and rules established in therapy, problems are usually solved relatively easily.

But, how do you work these cases in a psychologist's office?Parents are asked to make records about those behaviors or situations of conflict with their children, and to record them as accurately as possible. Noting the day and time it is, where they are doing what they are doing, who they are, what the child does or says, and what they or they say or other adults or family members present.

Once we have that material, we analyze it with them, and we go through it, until we know what is happening to the child, because it acts that way, and above all, we give the parents guidelines for action , how they have to act in those situations. Many times children are looking for the attention of their parents, and they know that behaving badly, even if it is an attention based on screams and reprimands, they have it. That's why in psychology we often work from what is called reinforcement, and extinction.

One of the causes that could explain the increase in these cases is the sense of guilt that crushes many parents. They feel guilty for spending little time with their children, and the little time they spend with them has a hard time marking the rules and limits.

Every time we see parents of children of younger ages, if previously it was usual for parents to come when the child was 4 or 5 years old, now we see many parents of children of 2 and 3 years, and some of even babies of months .

Behavioral difficulties are the main reason for demand for therapy both in childhood and adolescence. However, in the study * conducted on the demand in the area of children and adolescents at the Álava Reyes Psychology Center, the prevalence was higher in children than in adolescents, and in men than in women (44.6% of children compared to 32.1% of women), and more frequent in the younger age group. (Up to 12 years old).

When parents follow well established guidelines and are involved in therapy, these cases tend to improve quickly, and usually do not have a very high number of sessions, in a few sessions they begin to notice the improvement.

* Total number of cases reviewed 515.