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How
to Stop Biting in Children - Part III
This is the third part in a three-part series on understanding
why children bite and how to stop the behavior. Earlier articles
are archived in Behaviour.
Myth:
Biting a biter helps to reduce biting.
Fact: When an adult bites a child to show them that
biting is wrong, the child learns that biting is acceptable
if the biter is bigger than the victim. Biting a biter is
more likely to increase biting than it is to reduce it.
Myth:
Continually reprimanding, spanking or reasoning with a biter
will reduce biting.
Fact: Attention for biting increases the behavior. Attention
from parents and teachers is a strong reinforcer. Reprimands
are a form of attention. Some children want more attention
than it is possible to give. For them, negative attention
is better than no attention at all. If a child bites frequently
when a parent is on the phone or when a teacher is involved
with another student, he is probably seeking attention. He
may be willing to accept the reprimand or spanking in order
to get that attention. Adults, without meaning to, increase
biting by attending to it. When a child bites in order to
gain attention, adults need to attend to the victim and ignore
or robotically remove the biter with no eye contact and no
conversation.
Fact:
When a child receives reinforcement for biting, biting will
continue.
Fact:
When a consistent system of dealing with biting is used both
at home and at school (or play group), the possibility of
reducing or eliminating the biting is improved.
Fact:
Because reinforcement for biting is frequently intrinsic in
the act of biting, it sometimes continues until the child's
socialization and communication skills mature, usually by
the age of three. In the meantime, adults need to reduce reinforcement
where they can while protecting other children to the best
of their ability.
About
the Author: Penny T. Borgia has more than 20 years
of experience in childcare directing accredited preschool
programs. She also has provided parent education programs,
taught professional workshops and created a childhood educational
training system for preschool teachers. She may be reached
at fjborgia@aol.com
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