One student's inappropriate behaviour as an expression of pain: A case study

This study attempts to establish a link between pain and behaviour (especially inappropriate behaviour). By identifying this link, it is hoped that some of the more common methods of behaviour management may be altered so that behaviour, which is essentially an expression of pain, might be managed more effectively in school, home and society at large. In the literature search, biological studies on pain added a particular dimension to the direction of the study and together with sociological and psychological studies on behaviour, fanned a link between the two. The methodology employed is a case study of a teenage, primary school male child, separated from his mother and living with his father. The student is given the pseudonym "Miff' in this study. Evidence is strong for the validity of the findings of the study, which were supported by data in Miff's case history, the external surveys, and Miffs own testimony. The findings of the study give rise to the recommendations that the Queensland Education Department alter its approach to behaviour management policy and practice, on how it structures and funds behaviour management programs, and how it trains and deploys behaviour management personnel. This study has brought into focus, patterns and insights into the behaviour management of children, which were hitherto only implied.