Possible Goal

I suspect that the goals of his misbehavior might be "to outsmart others" and " to get away with whatever he can." Dreikurs' four goals are useful as an introduction to goal-oriented interpretation of behavior. However, in practice, we must try to capture the unique movements of the individual. (I would not, however, recommend confronting the child with a guess about his goal.)

Before considering an intervention, it would be helpful to know more about this child. Adlerian insight is best achieved by examining a series of movements and looking for the common denominators. Does he do anything else that is disruptive? What is the quality of his intelligence and his class work? What are his assets? Is anything known about his family life? Is he being abused? Depending on the degree of the perceived problem, an intervention by the teacher might be sufficient, or a counselor may need to talk to the child and family.

One useful resource for educators is "Maintaining Sanity in the Classroom," by Grunwald, Dreikurs, & Pepper. Another interesting book that deals more with early delinquent behavior is "Before It's Too Late," by Stanton Samenow.

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