PA-OST 4: Promoting Positive Behavior and Healthy Peer Relationships
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Personnel use positive techniques to support and guide behavior, and promote respectful, cooperative interactions among children and youth.
Rules and behavioral expectations:
- set clear and appropriate limits;
- are developed with children and youth enrolled in the program; and
- are conveyed and enforced in a fair, consistent manner.
Interpretation: As noted in PA-OST 2.01 and PA-CR 1.01, personnel should inform children and youth, and their families, about rules, expectations, and behaviors that might result in discharge from the program.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Time is set aside to discuss rules;
- Personnel, children, and youth work together to define rules that make sense to all;
- Personnel set realistic limits (e.g., personnel should not expect children and youth to be quiet most of the time);
- Personnel expect all children and youth to abide by the same rules;
- Personnel take steps to ensure that children and youth understand the limits that are set; and
- Personnel set limits to prevent children and youth from hurting each other verbally or physically.
Personnel support positive behavior by:
- developing positive relationships with children and youth;
- helping children and youth develop and practice appropriate social skills;
- building on strengths and reinforcing positive behaviors such as sharing, cooperating, caring for materials, and joining in activities;
- encouraging children and youth to resolve their own conflicts, when possible and appropriate;
- responding consistently to issues; and
- modeling appropriate behavior by interacting with other personnel in a positive, respectful manner.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel often show appreciation and encouragement;
- Personnel avoid using insincere praise and threats to control behavior;
- Personnel teach children and youth how to communicate and cooperate;
- Personnel celebrate the efforts and progress of children and youth;
- Personnel use negotiation, reasoning, and redirection to help children and youth find alternatives;
- Personnel do not impose their solutions on children and youth;
- Personnel rarely lecture children and youth;
- Personnel help children and youth express their feelings;
- Personnel help children and youth understand how their behavior affects others;
- Personnel teach children and youth specific skills they can use to work through conflicts (e.g., circle time, peace table, or conflict resolution skills);
- If problems occur children and youth are encouraged to discuss their differences and work out a solution, when possible and appropriate (i.e., if there is not a power imbalance between the involved children and youth); and
- Personnel handle conflicts in a way that reduces fear and disruption.
Children and youth generally interact in positive ways, and:
- appear relaxed and involved with each other;
- show respect for each other; and
- cooperate and work well together.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Children and youth show sympathy for each other;
- Children and youth willingly share materials and space;
- Children and youth suggest activities, negotiate roles, and jointly work out the rules;
- Children and youth include those with developmental, physical, or language differences in activities;
- Children and youth help each other;
- There is a strong sense of community;
- Children and youth listen to each other’s point of view and try to compromise;
- Children and youth know how to solve problems, and their solutions are usually reasonable and fair;
- Children and youth do not try to solve disagreements by bullying or acting aggressively; and
- Teasing, belittling, or picking on particular children and youth is uncommon.
Personnel strive to eliminate negative or unsafe peer interactions such as teasing, bullying, harassment, and relational aggression.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of the standard include, but are not limited to:
- If children and youth tease, scapegoat, threaten, or exclude others, personnel step in; and
- When personnel hear insults or slang words used with a negative connotation they immediately step in to stop the behavior, and follow-up with children and youth to make sure they are okay.
When children have special behavioral needs or issues, personnel respond appropriately.
Interpretation: Appropriate responses may vary, depending on the child or youth and the situation. If an enrolled child or youth is considered inappropriate for the program, personnel should: (1) initiate a conversation with both the child or youth and his/her family, and (2) make every effort to ensure that the family obtains information about programs and services that may be more appropriate for the child or youth. However, all possible accommodations and interventions should be exhausted before it is decided that a particular child or youth is not appropriate for the program.
Note: See PA-OST 3.05 for more information about responding appropriately to children and youth with special needs.
Personnel use no harsh discipline methods, and policy prohibits:
- corporal punishment;
- aversive stimuli;
- withholding nutrition or hydration;
- inflicting physical or psychological pain;
- demeaning, shaming, or degrading language or activities;
- unnecessarily punitive restrictions;
- forced physical exercise to eliminate behaviors;
- punitive work assignments;
- punishment by peers; and
- group punishment or discipline for individual behavior.
