Behavioral Parental Training: An Overview

Children by their very nature tend to be mischievous, more so the ones going through puberty. These behavioral patterns, in most kids are taken for granted and are not major cause for concern. Certainly there are pathologic situations such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) which require full monitoring, counseling and in some cases even treatment. But the problem arises when parents are unable to recognize signs of trouble in their children. Not all parents are expected to be health care professionals and hence, their inability in understanding their child's problem in most cases is legitimate and understandable. Mental health care professionals and many child psychiatrists propose that when a children's behavior or misbehavior becomes a cause for concern, these delinquencies should not be handled only by recommending counseling or treating the children alone. It is now widely accepted amongst the scientific community that the parents in these situations, should also simultaneously be taught behavioral parent training. It is unreasonable to expect parents who are raising there first child to be completely aware of such developments or expect them at a certain stage, and then just conveniently pick up a book and learn behavior modification.

Behavioral parent training does not teach anything new at all for that matter they may seem like very logical and common sense approaches to raising ones kids. But nevertheless some parents require care full teaching of these techniques to use them as tools for effective parenting. Training itself entails teaching parents to change there discipline techniques. This means that instead of applying a fixed discipline regime they use arbitrary or unexpected modes of discipline. For example when punishing a child instead of simply grounding him or her, why not get him to do community service or house chores. Parents in this method learn to set certain rules and the eventual consequences of disobeying these rules. This does not mean though that they resort to heavy hand techniques or unreasonable punishment, just punishment fitting the mistake. Negotiation with older children is also taught, how to effectively follow through on ultimatums and the ability to recognize those first signs of trouble and then to talk to there children about what is on there mind.

Stress is particularly laid on the importance of reward. That is to respond to good behavior from there children with praise, encouragement, and some sort of reward. Goal oriented or some times a point's oriented reward system should be put in place, it is also important to remember that parents should be care full of not over rewarding and rewarding for one thing at a time. They learn that the child needs to first be reminded of what a good job he or she is doing before enumerating the aspects that still warrant improvement. Studies have shown that juvenile delinquents who had been arrested three times or more by the age of 15, having there parents undergo behavioral training reduced rates of incarceration by almost 64% initially and with very positive outlook for these very children in adult hood.