Hi :),
In a class I am taking right now, we are reviewing research that compares different rates of student aggression in the classroom using teacher observations. Primarily, we talk about reactive aggression and proactive aggression. Reactive aggression is more of the explosive behavior (yelling/pushing) in response to a stimulus, while proactive aggression is used by students to get what they want with the intent to harm another individual with minimal harm to themselves; it is calculated (peer relationships/social status/school consequences). Proactive aggressive students are much more likely to attempt a reconciliation process (patch up the relationship with the victimized peer to maintain social status).
The study suggests that teachers are less likely to identify students as aggressive if they use proactive aggression. Similarly, teachers are much less likely to identify females as aggressive (as they use more relational aggression, like gossip or rumors).
Do you feel like the proactive aggressive students sometimes slip by our observation in the classroom; or, they are shadowed by the more reactively aggressive students? How do you handle students who are manipulative/coercive with their peers but do not actively disrupt the classroom environment (proactive aggressors)?
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely right in that I tend to not identify females as aggressive, despite the fact that they can be in a different way. I'm thinking of a girl in my 7th hour that is very proactive. She tends to coerce friends into doing things they wouldn't normally do if she wasn't there. Generally, my only strategy is isolation. I think it's also important to get all the facts from everyone in the room. That way, we can show them where they cross the line and what they are doing is unacceptable.
I think of a bullying incident last year. Often, this one girl would respond violently towards a boy. But it was because that boy would spread rumors about her, do things when I wasn't looking, etc. The girl was the one suspended because she was reactive while the boy pretty much got off scott free until I started seeing the bigger picture.
I think it's true also that we respond more to the reactive aggression because it may require a more immediate response from us (i.e. the immediate physical safety of students).
You post a good point. I think with the "reactive agression," you may be touching on how some students are manipulative in order to be perceived in a certain way, yet seem to have an agenda to either get another student in trouble, or blame another student for their own off-task behavior. I agree with Eric--we do tend to react toward what will immediately protect our students. We also need to see the big picture of the dynamics of our classroom.
ReplyDeleteI have a female student in one class period who seems to be the ideal student, yet I have recently caught her getting other students off task, and then talking about these other students misbehavior. I have found that now that I am taking more time to see the flurry of activity around her and with those around her, I am observing more closely the dynamics between the different students. I had assumed that the reactive aggression shown by some students around her was more "offensive." Rather, she is sometimes causing the dynamic by seeming to be the innocent party.
I have learned to keep asking questions of all of those involved.
One student exhibits more passive/aggressive behaviors toward another student, and I am working to empower the student so he is not manipulated.
It seems that the more I teach, the more I understand the complexities of the job. It is not simply delivering content by any means--but being more of a master of insight into human behavior!
I often deal with this issue in class when a student is reacting aggressively. They say they only did something in response to someone else. I think that proactive aggression was more difficult to identify in the high school last year than it is in the middle school this year because kids are not as good at hiding their intentions. That being said, there are plenty of sneaky middle schoolers that give me a run for my money.
ReplyDeleteI wish there was a clear way to deal with the problem in a quick manner. I think that I definitely under identify proactive aggression as I am not as likely to see it. Also, I would say that female aggression is more difficult to identify because I think their aggression looks different. It tends to be more verbal in my experience. We know this already, however. As for solving it, I like what Ann said about asking everyone involved what happens. I try also to talk to my reactive students about telling me about proactive aggression before they explode. That way the initator is held accountable for their actions.
I hope that with experience, my awareness of all dynamics in the room will grow, as I think awareness is the best way to stop this from happening.
I think that this issue challenges us all to be higher social thinkers. Obviously, the student using reaction aggression either is lacking in social skills, or doesn't care. Whenever we do ANYTHING the people of who we share space with, makes a thought about us. If we do something in the category of reactive aggression, chances are that thought they have is going to be weird/bad. Our thoughts produce feelings and if we have weird/bad thought about someone, we have an undesired feeling toward that person. People are more likely to remember how a person made them feel over what a person said, so if a student is continually using reactive aggression, you are remembering these negative feelings, and your patience has just about ran out. On the other hand, if someone is using proactive aggression, they probably have some good social skills. People are easily coerced by them to behave unexpectedly. They are aware of how others are thinking about them, and manage to avoid leaving that bitter taste in your mouth.
ReplyDeleteAs “fair” and “equal” as we try to be, teachers are still human. We have stronger feelings tied to a student who is displaying reaction aggression. The mishaps of a student with proactive aggression are more easily forgotten.
Dealing with this can be difficult, because addressing a student using reaction aggression may be immediate, yet, the proactive aggression may require a bit of digging to get to the bottom of a problem. I would perhaps consult one on one with the students who is getting the brunt of the proactive aggression and teach them strategies to avoid being targeted by the aggressor. It’s a tough one to deal with, but remember you’re human.