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Some social contexts of self-destructive behavior
Insights
Self-injurious behavior in children with autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disabilities often increases when staff make demands or issue punishments. This suggests self-harm is a social behavior influenced by environmental interactions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a significant concern in children with developmental and psychiatric disorders.
- Understanding the triggers and social context of SIB is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the social context of self-injurious behavior in children with autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disabilities.
- To determine if environmental factors, specifically staff interactions, influence the occurrence of SIB.
Main Methods:
- Observational study design.
- Recording of social interactions between subjects and staff.
- Simultaneous recording of self-destructive behaviors in a state hospital setting.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in self-injurious behavior was observed in 19 out of 20 subjects following staff demands, denials, or punishments.
- This pattern supports the hypothesis that SIB is a social behavior influenced by the immediate environment.
- One case suggested a potential self-stimulatory component to the self-destructive behavior.
Conclusions:
- Self-injurious behavior in this population is strongly influenced by social interactions and environmental demands.
- Interventions targeting staff behavior and environmental demands may be effective in reducing SIB.
- Further research is needed to explore the potential self-stimulatory functions of SIB in specific cases.
Abstract:
This study investigated the social context of self-injurious behavior in autistic, schizophrenic, and mentally retarded children residing in a state hospital. Social interactions between subjects and staff were recorded along with subjects' self-destructive behavior. The results showed a substantial increase in self-destructive behavior following the staff's presentation of demands, denials, and punishments in 19 of the 20 subjects. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that self-injurious behavior is a social behavior, which is determined by persons in the environment. In addition, the self-destructive behavior of one subject may have been largely self-stimulatory in nature.