The prevention and management of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) can be attained through a structured developmental approach involving interventions that span from primary to tertiary levels, targeting children, schools, families and communities, according to a new paper.
Carmel Cefai, lecturer in psychology at the Faculty of Education, and Paul Cooper, chartered psychologist and director of the School of Education at the University of Leicester in England, warn that it is important to start this approach now to prevent the exacerbation of the problem as experienced by other countries.
Their paper, Social, Emotional And Behavioural Difficulties In Malta: An Educational Perspective, was published this week in the Journal of Maltese Education Research of the Faculty of Education.
"At preventative level this entails supporting parents, families and communities in helping to promote the healthy development of children, and supporting schools, teachers and students to organise themselves as caring, supportive and inclusive communities," they write.
They strongly recommend targeting and providing support to those students - and their families and schools - who are at risk or whose difficulties have already became a cause for concern, through early intervention, screening at key stages, adequately resourced interagency, transdisciplinary services and programmes providing support, and continuing staff, professional and parent training.
Although research shows that Maltese families are still relatively strong, with lower rates of marital breakdown and separations compared to international rates, there are parallel changes and social problems, such as poverty, illiteracy, school absenteeism and low skills and other labour market shortcomings, the authors state.
In addition, certain institutional factors may be creating and contributing to SEBD in school, such as some principles and objectives of the National Minimum Curriculum which are not being fully implemented yet, and the fact that the present educational system "is still deeply embedded in a framework of selectivity, characterised by a culture of examinations and segregation".
The researchers also say that teachers and pupils are still burdened by an overloaded national minimum curriculum and that many students are experiencing high levels of stress and work pressure, particularly those facing the end of primary and secondary school examinations.
The paper indicates that, although there is no reliable data yet, there are indications that the rate of SEBD in schools is increasing.
"One may predict on the basis of the current and projected challenges that the problem will inevitably become worse. SEBD is a multifaceted, complex social phenomena brought about by a range of factors, and schools are also clearly implicated in its creation and/or exacerbation.
"Despite the humanistic, inclusive vision promoted by the National Minimum Curriculum, the actual reality in many Maltese schools shows a system still bent on segregation, performance and competition," the paper warns.
The paper also explains that children and young persons with SEBD in Malta are entitled to the provision of adequate support in their learning and behaviour in their own schools. In the case of very difficult behaviour, particularly at the secondary school level, a small number of non-mainstream educational facilities are available.
The authors cite many examples of good practice, both within schools and support services and programmes, related to the education of children and young persons with SEBD. These, they maintain, should be encouraged and celebrated - the current provisions and support services for students with SEBD leave much to be desired.
Dr Cefai and Prof. Cooper state that a multi-level intervention framework is proposed to prevent the recent spate of violence, anti-social behaviour, bullying and other forms of challenging behaviour in schools from reaching the frequency and severity seen in others countries.
They say that the incidents which have been recently reported in the media can be seen as the small tip of an enormous iceberg.
"We would go so far as to argue that this sensational 'tip' would be less prominent if the higher incidence, lower level difficulties were addressed more effectively and well before they escalate into more serious problems... This means that an apparently minor problem that is ignored or handled ineffectively will often escalate into a more serious one."