Chapter 1
Introduction to Normal and
Abnormal Behaviour in Children and
Adolescents
Children’s MH problems differ widely from those of adults
Parents often ask questions about their child’s behaviour & its probable cause and outcome. These
questions also exemplify issues like:
o Defining what constitutes normal and abnormal behaviour
o Identifying causes and correlates
o Making predictions about long-term outcomes
o Developing and evaluating methods for treatment and/or prevention
The way in which problems are described, and what harm such problems may lead to is the first
step towards understanding the nature
NB features that distinguish most child disorders:
o When adults seek services for children, it often is not clear whose problem it is
Children enter MH system as a result of concerns raised by adults – children
often have little choice in the matter
o Many child problems involve failure to show expected developmental progress
The problem may be transitory, or may be an initial indication of problems ahead
o Many problem behaviours shown by children are not entirely abnormal
Most children commonly exhibit certain problem behaviours
o Interventions for children are often intended to promote further development, rather than merely to
restore a previous level of functioning
Concern for children’s needs, rights, and care requires a prominent and consistent social
sensitivity and awareness
Historical Views and Breakthroughs
NB to recognise children as valuable to help them develop normal competencies
Valuing children as persons in their own right has not been a priority of previous societies
o Prior to the 18th C, children’s MH problems were seldom mentioned
o Some of the earliest historical interest surfaced near the end of the 18th C
The Church used its strong infl. to attribute children’s disturbing behaviours to
their inherently uncivilised nature
, During this period, nonreligious explanations for disordered behaviour in
children were rarely given serious consideration because possession by the devil
was the only explanation needed
o During the 17th and 18th century many children were treated harshly – cruel acts went
unnoticed or were considered an adult’s right in the disciplining of a child
The Emergence of Social Conscience
The situation gradually improved throughout the 19th C and progressed significantly during the
latter part of the 20th C
In Western society, an inkling for the prerequisites for a social conscience first occurred during the
17th C, when both a philosophy of humane care and institutions of social protection began to root
o John Locke influenced present-day attitudes and practices of childbirth and child-rearing
He believed in individual rights, and said that children should be raised with
thought and care rather than indifference
At the turn of the 19th C, an original effort to work with a special child was undertaken and
documented by Jean Marc Itard
o This undertaking launched a new era of a helping orientation toward special children,
which initially focused on the care, treatment, and training of the people then termed
Mental Defectives
Concern for children with disturbances began to rise in conjunction with 2 NB influences:
o (i) With advances in general medicine, physiology, and neurology, the moral insanity
view of psych disorders was replaced by the organic disease model, which emphasised
more humane forms of treatment
o (ii) The growing influence of philosophies of Locke and others led to the view that
children needed moral guidance and support
With these changing views came an increased concern for moral education,
compulsory education, and improved health practices
Early Biological Attributions
Early attempts at bio explanations for deviant behaviour were highly biased in favour of the cause
being the person’s fault
In contrast to public ignorance and avoidance, the mental hygiene movement provides a
benchmark of changing attitudes toward mental disorders
Detection and intervention methods began to flourish. Unfortunately, because this paradigm was
based on a bio disease model, intervention was limited to persons with the most visible and
prominent disorders
All one could do was to prevent the most extreme manifestations by strict punishment and to
protect those not affected
This early educational and humane model soon reverted to a custodial model
Early Psychological Attributions
To conceptualise and understand child psych, bio influences must be balanced with NB
developmental and cultural factors
The recognition of psych infl. emerged early in the 20th C, when attention was drawn to the
importance of major psych disorders and to formulating a classification of illnesses
o Such recognition allowed researchers to organise ways of differentiating among various
psych problems, resulting in some semblance of understanding
Introduction to Normal and
Abnormal Behaviour in Children and
Adolescents
Children’s MH problems differ widely from those of adults
Parents often ask questions about their child’s behaviour & its probable cause and outcome. These
questions also exemplify issues like:
o Defining what constitutes normal and abnormal behaviour
o Identifying causes and correlates
o Making predictions about long-term outcomes
o Developing and evaluating methods for treatment and/or prevention
The way in which problems are described, and what harm such problems may lead to is the first
step towards understanding the nature
NB features that distinguish most child disorders:
o When adults seek services for children, it often is not clear whose problem it is
Children enter MH system as a result of concerns raised by adults – children
often have little choice in the matter
o Many child problems involve failure to show expected developmental progress
The problem may be transitory, or may be an initial indication of problems ahead
o Many problem behaviours shown by children are not entirely abnormal
Most children commonly exhibit certain problem behaviours
o Interventions for children are often intended to promote further development, rather than merely to
restore a previous level of functioning
Concern for children’s needs, rights, and care requires a prominent and consistent social
sensitivity and awareness
Historical Views and Breakthroughs
NB to recognise children as valuable to help them develop normal competencies
Valuing children as persons in their own right has not been a priority of previous societies
o Prior to the 18th C, children’s MH problems were seldom mentioned
o Some of the earliest historical interest surfaced near the end of the 18th C
The Church used its strong infl. to attribute children’s disturbing behaviours to
their inherently uncivilised nature
, During this period, nonreligious explanations for disordered behaviour in
children were rarely given serious consideration because possession by the devil
was the only explanation needed
o During the 17th and 18th century many children were treated harshly – cruel acts went
unnoticed or were considered an adult’s right in the disciplining of a child
The Emergence of Social Conscience
The situation gradually improved throughout the 19th C and progressed significantly during the
latter part of the 20th C
In Western society, an inkling for the prerequisites for a social conscience first occurred during the
17th C, when both a philosophy of humane care and institutions of social protection began to root
o John Locke influenced present-day attitudes and practices of childbirth and child-rearing
He believed in individual rights, and said that children should be raised with
thought and care rather than indifference
At the turn of the 19th C, an original effort to work with a special child was undertaken and
documented by Jean Marc Itard
o This undertaking launched a new era of a helping orientation toward special children,
which initially focused on the care, treatment, and training of the people then termed
Mental Defectives
Concern for children with disturbances began to rise in conjunction with 2 NB influences:
o (i) With advances in general medicine, physiology, and neurology, the moral insanity
view of psych disorders was replaced by the organic disease model, which emphasised
more humane forms of treatment
o (ii) The growing influence of philosophies of Locke and others led to the view that
children needed moral guidance and support
With these changing views came an increased concern for moral education,
compulsory education, and improved health practices
Early Biological Attributions
Early attempts at bio explanations for deviant behaviour were highly biased in favour of the cause
being the person’s fault
In contrast to public ignorance and avoidance, the mental hygiene movement provides a
benchmark of changing attitudes toward mental disorders
Detection and intervention methods began to flourish. Unfortunately, because this paradigm was
based on a bio disease model, intervention was limited to persons with the most visible and
prominent disorders
All one could do was to prevent the most extreme manifestations by strict punishment and to
protect those not affected
This early educational and humane model soon reverted to a custodial model
Early Psychological Attributions
To conceptualise and understand child psych, bio influences must be balanced with NB
developmental and cultural factors
The recognition of psych infl. emerged early in the 20th C, when attention was drawn to the
importance of major psych disorders and to formulating a classification of illnesses
o Such recognition allowed researchers to organise ways of differentiating among various
psych problems, resulting in some semblance of understanding
