Dealing with difficult behaviour in inclusive education environments

We see that education professionals do have an eye for pupils with difficult behaviour, but in education it is often difficult to deal with this (Onderwijsraad, 2010). We aim to adopt a socio-ecological perspective on behaviour and assume that behaviour arises in relation and never in isolation (Roorda, Koomen, Split & Oort, 2011; Furrer & Skinner, 2003). It emerges in interaction with the environment. Several methods that focus on the prevention of difficult-to-handle behaviour emphasise attention to appropriate behaviour. It is important to make pupils feel safe and comfortable in the classroom, giving them the space to come to learning (Rey, Smith, Yoon, Somers & Barnett, 2007). Everything starts with experiencing positive relationships. It is at the heart of behaviour management and it is something everyone can work on. Dealing with difficult-to-handle behaviour is not something teachers do alone and it succeeds better when the interventions are school-wide. That way, the pupil is supported always and by everyone (Goei & Kleijnen, 2009).