The Assault Cycle
1. The Triggering Phase – all pupils have a normal or baseline set of nonaggressive
behaviours. The triggering phase is the pupil’s first behaviour, which
indicates a movement away from their baseline.
2. The Escalation Phase – the pupil’s behaviour deviates more and more from
baseline. Without intervention it becomes less amenable to diversion. The pupil
becomes overly focused on a particular issue.
3. The Crisis Phase – as the pupil (and staff) become increasingly physically,
emotionally and psychologically aroused, control over aggressive impulses
lessens and directly assaultive behaviour becomes more likely.
4. The Recovery Phase – the pupil’s high state of physical and emotional arousal
can remain a threat for up to 90 minutes after the incident.
5. The Post-crisis Depression Stage – the pupil regresses below baseline
behaviour. Mental and physical exhaustion is common and the pupil may
become tearful, remorseful, guilty, ashamed, distraught or despairing.
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Problem behaviour
Pupils experiencing severe emotional and behavioural difficulties may need special
provision where class groups are small and a high level of adult attention is
offered. There are many pupils in our mainstream schools who also show these
difficulties and schools report increasing numbers of such pupils. Learning support
assistants play a significant part in supporting them and making it possible for them
to remain in their local schools. The majority of these children do not achieve what
they are capable of in academic subjects at school because no child can learn
effectively if he or she is troubled inside and has feelings of worthlessness.
What ‘problem’ behaviour will I see in the classroom?
In your work as an assistant you will become aware of a range of ‘problem’
behaviours in the classroom. These will range from mild ‘low-level’ disruptions to
full-blown tantrums or defiance. Assistants who work with these children have
noted the following behaviours as those causing concern:
• Pencil-tapping
• Humming
• Kicking the table legs
• Chair-rocking
• Out of seat a lot (can’t sit still)
• Poking, pushing, ‘interfering’ with others
• Shouting out
• Constant talking, giggling
• Taking others’ equipment
• Lashing out at others
• Swearing or shouting
• Defiance
• Throwing equipment
• Damaging equipment or property
• Spitting
• Bullying
• Withdrawn behaviour
• Frequent crying
• Running away
• Hiding
• Stealing
It is important to note that most classrooms are managed well by teachers and
most behaviour problems are of the ‘low-level’ type. It is rare to have major
outbursts or fighting in class and if or when it does happen it is the responsibility of
the teacher to react appropriately. If you are working with a particularly difficult
child then you need to sit down with the teacher and plan just who will do what if a
major problem should occur.
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Planning for effective discipline
The following is taken from The Language of Discipline, Rogers B, 1997:
The point is I cannot effectively discipline if I don’t have a plan. This plan has
to take into account four major aspects of discipline:
1) preventative
2) corrective
3) consequential
4) supportive
Effective discipline balances these four essential areas.
1) Preventative
The preventative aspect of discipline is particularly important in the ‘establishment’
phase of the year. This covers aspects of the classroom management such as
lesson planning, both units of work and individual lessons; catering for mixed
abilities; thinking about the seating and aesthetics in the room (air flow from
windows, movement flow around the room, carpet helps noise level, fixing any
broken furniture quickly, lighting); communicating routines (for work, monitors,
partner-voices in work-time, how to teacher attention appropriately, toilet
procedures, packing up); and planning a language of discipline prior to the need to
use it. It’s difficult to know what to say when we’re under emotional pressure.
A plan can help. We know (as research confirms: Elton 1989, Rogers 1992a) that
teachers rate calling out, talking out of turn, argumentative (and the ‘last word’
syndrome) students, seat-wandering and task avoidance as their major disruptions.
While these are not serious it’s the frequency of the behaviour that is so frustrating.
Effective management, and discipline, is a matter not merely of personality or good
fortune but of skill:
‘The most talented ‘natural’ teachers may need little training or advice because
they learn so quickly from experience. At the other extreme, there are a few
teachers for whom training and advice will not be properly effective because their
personalities do not match the needs of the job. It is clear, however, that the
majority of teachers can become more effective classroom managers as a result of
the right kinds of training, experience and support.’
The Elton Report
Preventative management includes an awareness of group dynamics and some of
the ‘games’ students play… It is also essential to make the classroom ‘rules’ or
‘agreements’ clear in the establishment phase of your time with the group. Fair,
clear and ‘owned’ rules help protect the rights of all and give a basis for corrective
discipline where necessary.
© Creative Education Limited Verson 1 5006 Page 22
2) Corrective
However well we plan for a lesson, there will be minor disruptions such as calling
out, chit-chat, off-task, behaviours. In ‘difficult’ schools there will be regular bouts of
clowning, teaching-baiting, task avoidance and task refusal.
An effective principle of discipline is to begin at the least intrusive level and only
move to the most intrusive as the situation, context and circumstance necessitate.
For example David has sneaked his Walkman cassette recorder into class.
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