Anti-social behaviors are actions that harm or lack consideration for the well-being of others. It has also been defined as any type of conduct that violates the basic rights of another person and any behavior that is considered to be disruptive to others in society.
Symptoms/Results of Bullying:
Bullying can be carried out in various ways, which includes, but is not limited to, intentional aggression, as well as covert and overt hostility. Anti-social behavior also develops through social interaction within the family and community. It continuously affects a child’s temperament, cognitive ability and their involvement with negative peers, dramatically affecting children’s problem-solving skills. Many people also label behavior which is deemed contrary to prevailing norms for social conduct as anti-social behavior.
The exact cause is not known; genetics and childhood traumatic experiences play a role. Commonly observed symptoms are disregard of what is right or wrong and being highly aggressive and deceitful. Symptoms of antisocial behavior include:
- Disregard what is right.
- Highly aggressive and irritable
- Deceitfulness
- Lack of empathy or remorse
- Consistently irresponsible
- Impulsive behavior
- Adults with antisocial personality disorder typically show symptoms of:
- Conduct disorder before the age of 15.
- Signs and symptoms of conduct disorder include serious, persistent behavior problems, such as: aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, theft, and serious violation of rules at school or home.
- Conduct disorder before the age of 15.
Treatment:
The main treatment is psychotherapy; mood stabilizers are prescribed if required.
Pro-social intervention methods are relatively new and have been an effective measure to adjust antisocial behavior with varying levels of success. It involves invoking empathy for those who are offended or hurt by the antisocial behavior. It may involve role playing and group activities to stimulate the child’s empathy.
Children who display negative behavior need new skills that help them deal with conflict and learn self-control. Adults in care giving roles can effectively teach these new skills that encourage a more positive behavior. Adults who use and teach positive problem-solving skills generally experience less parental stress. Take action to change the child’s negative behavior through skill-building. Model and teach positive social and behavior skills.
School Security Personnel can use this method to deal with minor problems. As an example, the officer observes a student acting inappropriately toward another student. The officer may take the student aside, inform the student that the behavior was inappropriate and then take intervention actions such as asking the student “how would you feel if someone did that action to you?’ and possibly why did they do the behavior. The follow-up would be to allow the student to verbalize how they would feel. If it is positive, reinforce the good behavior and give the student a chance to make amends if appropriate. However, it may be the officer’s duty to report the activity to the school administration for record and evidence for future interventions.