MSc (Med) (Child Health Neurodevelopment), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Background Disruptive behaviour is the most commonly reported mental health problem in individuals with learning disability. Pharmacotherapy is part of a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of disruptive behaviour. Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, is the most commonly used treatment for symptom improvement. It is therefore important to establish the efficacy and safety of risperidone therapy in this dependent, vulnerable and young population, given the well documented adverse effects and the potential for long term treatment. Objectives To assess the effects of risperidone for disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents with learning disability. Search strategy The following electronic databases were searched: CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials); MEDLINE; PsycINFO; CINAHL; Clinicaltrials.gov; National Research Register (NRR). In addition, reference lists of relevant publications and narrative reviews were checked; handsearches were done; authors of published trials and pharmaceutical manufacturer of risperidone (Risperdal) were contacted. Selection criteria All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials of risperidone versus placebo (or no treatment) for children and adolescents (age less than 18 years) with a diagnosis of learning disability and disruptive behaviour were considered. Data collection and analysis Trial eligibility and data quality were evaluated and analysed by the author and independently verified by an additional reviewer. Unpublished data were considered for inclusion and relevant authors were contacted in the case of incomplete data. Results Four randomised controlled trials involving 279 children and adolescents were identified. The majority of the children were living at home and not institutionalised. Meta-analyses of the primary outcome scales (Nisonger Child Behaviour Rating Form, Aberrant Behaviour Checklist, Behaviour Problem Inventory) measuring several core symptoms of disruptive behaviour, namely conduct problems, self-injury, irritability, aggressive / destructive behaviours and stereotypy suggest statistically significant improvement in disruptive type behaviours in children treated with risperidone compared to placebo. Adverse event data showed that the prevalence of adverse effects viz. weight gain, sedation / somnolence and raised prolactin levels were significantly higher in the children receiving risperidone. Conclusions In the studies included in this review, risperidone treatment for disruptive behaviour in learning disabled children and adolescents appears to have a beneficial effect on certain symptoms of disruptive behaviour. However, the applicability of these findings to wider clinical practice remains unclear, due to poor methodological quality, inadequate study sample size and short duration of treatment of the included studies. Long term safety has not been established and serious adverse effects, affecting growth, are of concern. Further research is required to establish the efficacy and safety of risperidone for disruptive behaviour in learning disabled children and adolescents in clinical practice.

Objective: Adolescence is a period of crucial neuropsychological development. Executive control functions (ECF) develop during adolescence and are constructs involving the planning, initiation, and regula¬tion of goal-directed behaviour. ECFs include impulse control critical for behavioural regulation. Training approaches for improving inhibitory control (IC) and impulsivity in young people (YP) are in their infancy, although some positive effects have been found in adults. This research aimed to test the hypothesis that IC intervention would improve IC and impulsivity (direct, near and far-transfer effects) and improve behavioural-control (mid and far-transfer effects) in YP. Methods: Six healthy YP, aged 11-16 years, attending mainstream education, participated in this single-case, multiple-baseline experimental design. The participants completed assessments at three phase-change points and completed continuous measures of their own impulsivity and behaviour goals. Each participant completed a baseline and intervention phase of differing randomised lengths within the 20 day study. The data were analysed visually using non-parametric tests of difference, randomisations tests and indices of reliable change. Results: IC and impulsivity were not observed to improve with intervention based on direct and far-transfer effects and limited improvement was observed based on near-transfer effects. Overall, behavioural control was not observed to improve with intervention based on near and far-training effects, but limited improvements were observed for some individual participants. Conclusion: The intervention was not observed to be effective in reducing IC or improving behavioural control overall, with very limited effects found in individual cases, which are discussed in directions for future research.

No description available.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014. / This research aimed to determine the perceptions that Foundation Phase educators from schools in the Lower Umfolozi District held towards disruptive behaviour. It studied the perceptions of educators towards the characteristics of disruptive behaviour, as well as the extent that it existed in their classrooms and the impact that it had on teaching and learning. A survey questionnaire was distributed to educators from 26 schools and 92 questionnaires were returned. The researcher used SPSS to conduct data analysis. Findings suggest that a majority of the educators experienced disruptive behaviour in their classrooms. They perceived similar behaviours to be disruptive, with many participants identifying ‘shouting out’, ‘walking around the classroom’, ‘talking in class’ and ‘playful behaviour’ as being disruptive. The results from the survey suggest that disruptive behaviour did affect their teaching, both in terms of educator motivation and the quality of teaching, as well as the learning of the students in terms of academic outcomes.

Doctor of Philosophy / Disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents has a negative impact on their families, schools, and communities. Common treatments include medication, behaviour management, psychosocial and family programs in various combinations. These treatments have some success, but there is need for improvement in response and relapse rates following treatment. Yoga encourages participants to be actively and independently involved in their own treatment and self-management through respiratory awareness and manipulation, postures and cognitive control. Yoga practices have a positive effect on brain wave frequencies, glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter activity and the autonomic nervous system, all of which are affected in disruptive behaviour. In young people, yoga and similar mind body approaches have been shown to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, aggression and anxiety. However, many of the trials involving young people, took place up to three decades ago. This research needs to be revived and applied to the school environment where the problems are most evident and where inexpensive, non-intrusive and self-management strategies are needed. Aims and Design This controlled field study, using a within and between repeated measures design examined the impact of yoga on the behaviour of students aged 8-16 years, enrolled at special schools for disruptive behaviour with the New South Wales Department of Education, Australia. Of the seventy-eight participants (five female) enrolled in the study, sixteen students acted as their own controls, fifty–five participated in yoga intervention only and seven were in the control condition only. Altogether seventy-one (71) students participated in the yoga intervention and twenty-three (23) in the control condition. Methods The yoga intervention, a 13-week comprehensive program consisting of two to three 30-40 minute sessions per week, was taught by a qualified, experienced yoga teacher who was also a specialist teacher for behaviourally disordered students (PSJ). The control group experienced the standard school program provided by the special school. Control and yoga participants were pre- and post-tested on the Conners’ Teacher and Parent Rating Scales–Revised Long Version (CTRS-R: L, CRRS-R: L), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), the Trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Self Description Questionnaire I or II (SDQI &II). Behaviour observations were conducted using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Portable Observation Program (BASC-POP) in both the classroom (for control and yoga groups) and the yoga classes by blind independent observers and by the main researcher. School staff wrote comprehensive daily notes, in yoga classes and recorded students’ on- and off-task behaviours. Measures designed by the researchers consisted of the Feelings Faces Scale (FFS) that was completed after the last yoga class for the week by all students; a yoga survey (YS) requesting student perceptions of the benefits of yoga and Individual Assessments of Yoga Competence (IAYC) that were completed at the end of the yoga intervention by two subgroups. A Physical, Emotional and Mental States (PEMS) measure was administered prev and post-yoga sessions for a subgroup. Breathing patterns before, during and after the yoga relaxation session were recorded using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) bands in a subgroup and compared with three young people without disruptive behaviour. Results were analysed using the General Liner Model for all pre- and post-test measures. Mean scores were calculated for the FFS, the Yoga Survey and the IAYC. Visual analysis of the RIP results was conducted by researchers. Results Of 71 participants in the yoga group 12 (16.9%) attended from 7 to 10 classes; 36 (50.5%) attended from 11 to 20 classes and 23 (32.5%) attended from 21 to 35 classes. Total absences from the yoga classes (39.76%) were due to sickness and truancy (32.35%); lack of interest, (45.71%); work experience, home school visits or other school programs, (15.89%); and suspension from school (6.04%). Of the 33 students in the control group, 10 (32.35%) discontinued due to leaving the school (n=6) or truancy (n=4); 23 (67.65%) remained in the control group. Major findings were as follows: On the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CTRS-R: L), significant improvement over time was found for the yoga group (n=64) in the Oppositional subscale. No other significant changes were seen over time or in group by time interactions for the yoga (n=64) or the control groups (n=20). On the Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CRRS-R: L), significant improvements over time were seen in ten out of fifteen subscales for the control group (n=10) and deterioration in vi six subscales for the yoga intervention (n=16). Group by time interaction, favouring the control group was seen in thirteen subscales. Significant improvements on the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, (TEA-Ch) were seen on two subtests of focused attention and two subtests of sustained attention (one borderline) for the yoga group and two subtests of focused attention, two subtests of sustained attention and one of switching attention for the control group. No significant changes were observed on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) nor on the Self Description Questionnaire I or II SDQ I & II) but pre-test levels were within normal limits. Subgroup analysis of the CTRS-R: L. of students who participated in over 20 classes (n=14) indicated more pronounced significance on the Oppositional subscale. On the Behaviour Assessment System for Children-Portable Observation Program, (BASC-POP) significant group by time interaction reductions were observed in oppositional behaviour with a trend in hyperactive behaviours favouring the yoga group in the classroom. Over time, the yoga group’s (n=19) classroom behaviours indicated significant reductions in impulsive behaviour and borderline reductions in hyperactivity and total ADHD behaviours. Numbers assessed on this measure were reduced due to one rater proving unreliable (and whose ratings were discarded) and due to technical problems. The control group (n=16) showed no significant changes in classroom behaviours. Subgroup analysis of the BASC-POP for students who acted as their own controls (n=8) indicated significantly less ADHD behaviours in yoga classes at the end of the program compared with all other assessment times. In the yoga classes (n=21) at the beginning of the intervention ADHD behaviours were 33% of classroom behaviours compared with 25% at the end (n=20) of the intervention. Staff observations of yoga classes indicated on-task behavioural descriptors outnumbered off-task descriptors by approximately 4:1. Weekly selfvii reports on the Feelings Faces Scale (n ≤ 35), immediately after yoga each week, showed an overall positive response in mood, enjoyment of the program, and confidence in yoga practice. Self-report on the Physical, Emotional, Mental States measure, showed significant positive changes in physical, emotional and mental states from the beginning of yoga sessions to the end of sessions in a subgroup of students (n≤13). The Yoga Survey indicated benefits for 63% to 80% of the respondents (n=27) in six out of the seven items. On the Individual Assessment of Yoga Competence students (n=11) scored a mean of 79.64 % (SD 9.44). Breathing patterns, for students with disruptive behaviour (n=7), indicated greater stability during the relaxation compared with before and to a lesser degree after the relaxation but were not as stable as the breathing patterns of students without disruptive behaviour (n=3) throughout the testing period. Discussion Yoga as an intervention for students enrolled at behaviour school appears to have immediate positive effects as perceived by students immediately after sessions, in observations of behaviour during the yoga class, in assessed ability during a yoga class and in the stabilizing effects on breathing effort during relaxation. Collecting data on a regular basis appears to be a method of overcoming spasmodic attendance and early withdrawal. Few significant results were found on standardized measures. Results on these tests were affected by a number of methodological issues such as (i) fluctuations in attendance, (ii) withdrawals from the program weeks before post-program assessments, and (iii) to the intervention not being long viii and intense enough for parents and teachers to perceive significant changes in the environments in which the students had been ‘acting out’ for most of their childhood.

Doctor of Philosophy / Disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents has a negative impact on their families, schools, and communities. Common treatments include medication, behaviour management, psychosocial and family programs in various combinations. These treatments have some success, but there is need for improvement in response and relapse rates following treatment. Yoga encourages participants to be actively and independently involved in their own treatment and self-management through respiratory awareness and manipulation, postures and cognitive control. Yoga practices have a positive effect on brain wave frequencies, glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter activity and the autonomic nervous system, all of which are affected in disruptive behaviour. In young people, yoga and similar mind body approaches have been shown to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, aggression and anxiety. However, many of the trials involving young people, took place up to three decades ago. This research needs to be revived and applied to the school environment where the problems are most evident and where inexpensive, non-intrusive and self-management strategies are needed. Aims and Design This controlled field study, using a within and between repeated measures design examined the impact of yoga on the behaviour of students aged 8-16 years, enrolled at special schools for disruptive behaviour with the New South Wales Department of Education, Australia. Of the seventy-eight participants (five female) enrolled in the study, sixteen students acted as their own controls, fifty–five participated in yoga intervention only and seven were in the control condition only. Altogether seventy-one (71) students participated in the yoga intervention and twenty-three (23) in the control condition. Methods The yoga intervention, a 13-week comprehensive program consisting of two to three 30-40 minute sessions per week, was taught by a qualified, experienced yoga teacher who was also a specialist teacher for behaviourally disordered students (PSJ). The control group experienced the standard school program provided by the special school. Control and yoga participants were pre- and post-tested on the Conners’ Teacher and Parent Rating Scales–Revised Long Version (CTRS-R: L, CRRS-R: L), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), the Trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Self Description Questionnaire I or II (SDQI &II). Behaviour observations were conducted using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Portable Observation Program (BASC-POP) in both the classroom (for control and yoga groups) and the yoga classes by blind independent observers and by the main researcher. School staff wrote comprehensive daily notes, in yoga classes and recorded students’ on- and off-task behaviours. Measures designed by the researchers consisted of the Feelings Faces Scale (FFS) that was completed after the last yoga class for the week by all students; a yoga survey (YS) requesting student perceptions of the benefits of yoga and Individual Assessments of Yoga Competence (IAYC) that were completed at the end of the yoga intervention by two subgroups. A Physical, Emotional and Mental States (PEMS) measure was administered prev and post-yoga sessions for a subgroup. Breathing patterns before, during and after the yoga relaxation session were recorded using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) bands in a subgroup and compared with three young people without disruptive behaviour. Results were analysed using the General Liner Model for all pre- and post-test measures. Mean scores were calculated for the FFS, the Yoga Survey and the IAYC. Visual analysis of the RIP results was conducted by researchers. Results Of 71 participants in the yoga group 12 (16.9%) attended from 7 to 10 classes; 36 (50.5%) attended from 11 to 20 classes and 23 (32.5%) attended from 21 to 35 classes. Total absences from the yoga classes (39.76%) were due to sickness and truancy (32.35%); lack of interest, (45.71%); work experience, home school visits or other school programs, (15.89%); and suspension from school (6.04%). Of the 33 students in the control group, 10 (32.35%) discontinued due to leaving the school (n=6) or truancy (n=4); 23 (67.65%) remained in the control group. Major findings were as follows: On the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CTRS-R: L), significant improvement over time was found for the yoga group (n=64) in the Oppositional subscale. No other significant changes were seen over time or in group by time interactions for the yoga (n=64) or the control groups (n=20). On the Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CRRS-R: L), significant improvements over time were seen in ten out of fifteen subscales for the control group (n=10) and deterioration in vi six subscales for the yoga intervention (n=16). Group by time interaction, favouring the control group was seen in thirteen subscales. Significant improvements on the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, (TEA-Ch) were seen on two subtests of focused attention and two subtests of sustained attention (one borderline) for the yoga group and two subtests of focused attention, two subtests of sustained attention and one of switching attention for the control group. No significant changes were observed on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) nor on the Self Description Questionnaire I or II SDQ I & II) but pre-test levels were within normal limits. Subgroup analysis of the CTRS-R: L. of students who participated in over 20 classes (n=14) indicated more pronounced significance on the Oppositional subscale. On the Behaviour Assessment System for Children-Portable Observation Program, (BASC-POP) significant group by time interaction reductions were observed in oppositional behaviour with a trend in hyperactive behaviours favouring the yoga group in the classroom. Over time, the yoga group’s (n=19) classroom behaviours indicated significant reductions in impulsive behaviour and borderline reductions in hyperactivity and total ADHD behaviours. Numbers assessed on this measure were reduced due to one rater proving unreliable (and whose ratings were discarded) and due to technical problems. The control group (n=16) showed no significant changes in classroom behaviours. Subgroup analysis of the BASC-POP for students who acted as their own controls (n=8) indicated significantly less ADHD behaviours in yoga classes at the end of the program compared with all other assessment times. In the yoga classes (n=21) at the beginning of the intervention ADHD behaviours were 33% of classroom behaviours compared with 25% at the end (n=20) of the intervention. Staff observations of yoga classes indicated on-task behavioural descriptors outnumbered off-task descriptors by approximately 4:1. Weekly selfvii reports on the Feelings Faces Scale (n ≤ 35), immediately after yoga each week, showed an overall positive response in mood, enjoyment of the program, and confidence in yoga practice. Self-report on the Physical, Emotional, Mental States measure, showed significant positive changes in physical, emotional and mental states from the beginning of yoga sessions to the end of sessions in a subgroup of students (n≤13). The Yoga Survey indicated benefits for 63% to 80% of the respondents (n=27) in six out of the seven items. On the Individual Assessment of Yoga Competence students (n=11) scored a mean of 79.64 % (SD 9.44). Breathing patterns, for students with disruptive behaviour (n=7), indicated greater stability during the relaxation compared with before and to a lesser degree after the relaxation but were not as stable as the breathing patterns of students without disruptive behaviour (n=3) throughout the testing period. Discussion Yoga as an intervention for students enrolled at behaviour school appears to have immediate positive effects as perceived by students immediately after sessions, in observations of behaviour during the yoga class, in assessed ability during a yoga class and in the stabilizing effects on breathing effort during relaxation. Collecting data on a regular basis appears to be a method of overcoming spasmodic attendance and early withdrawal. Few significant results were found on standardized measures. Results on these tests were affected by a number of methodological issues such as (i) fluctuations in attendance, (ii) withdrawals from the program weeks before post-program assessments, and (iii) to the intervention not being long viii and intense enough for parents and teachers to perceive significant changes in the environments in which the students had been ‘acting out’ for most of their childhood.

The lack of learner discipline in ordinary schools is a universal concern. Managing learners’ discipline is even more challenging in special schools since learners with special educational needs (LSEN) struggle with a wide range of difficulties that impact their behaviour. Many of these learners do not readily recognise authority and have a very hard time following school rules. These are often secondary problems stemming from primary conditions, such as communication disorders which are complex and difficult to manage. This case study was conducted at a special school in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A sample of 18 members participated in the study by answering semi-structured interview questions. The goal of this qualitative study was to answer the main research question: How do special schools manage learner discipline? To do this, the nature, intensity and frequency of the disciplinary issues of learners in special schools had to be explored. The unique challenging and disruptive behaviours of individual learners in special schools include but are not limited to ADHD-associated behaviours, extreme aggressiveness, the throwing of tantrums, verbal abuse and direct threats towards teachers and other learners, hitting, biting and scratching teachers, severe defiance, and severe bullying. These behavioural challenges have a negative impact on both the quality of teaching and learning as well as on the safety and security of all school stakeholders. The findings of this study were interpreted through the theoretical lens of the social model of disability, as learners in special schools are accommodated using measures implemented from a social premise. While using the medical model of disability as a base, teachers and other staff at the research site currently apply the principles of the social model of disability to accommodate learners with behavioural problems in spite of the limitations of this model. These environmental accommodative measures have also proven successful in removing spatial barriers and assisting the staff in managing learner behaviour. This study used Charles’ (1989) definition concept as a working definition for the management of discipline in schools focusing on preventive, supportive and corrective discipline. The literature review focussed on these concepts in relation to the management of discipline of learners with special educational needs. As postulated by Charles (1989), the goal of preventative discipline is to prevent disruptive behaviour before it occurs. In terms of preventative disciplinary measures, the school chosen for this study used its code of conduct alongside the well-established classroom rules to serve as the basis for managing learner behaviour. Supportive discipline, on the other hand, refers to support strategies that are developed to assist an individual acquire social and behavioural competence. In line with existing literature, effective supportive disciplinary measures are focused on individualised strategies developed by multi-disciplinary teams to assist individual learners. It must be noted that parental input and support is a vital component of this process. The findings of this study, which are detailed in the closing chapter of the dissertation, indicate that the environmental accommodations made for learners from the premise of the social model of disability are, to an extent, successful in removing environmental barriers within the educational context and assisting staff in managing learner behaviour. The third pillar of discipline management, corrective discipline, refers to measures that help redirect poor behaviour when it does occur. This is aligned to Charles’ (1989) definition of discipline. Corrective discipline is therefore not a punitive disciplinary measure, but instead focuses on providing individual support to help correct current behavioural patterns and prevent further inappropriate behaviours from developing. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become the disorder of the nineties. The name has been bandied about by experts, teachers, parents, lay people and specifically the media, however, when a child or children are diagnosed with this disorder, parents, and in particular for this study, mothers, are left feeling confused, frightened and uncertain. The method of treatment is the specific study of this research. Ritalin is the most popular form of treatment utilised for the alleviation of symptoms, yet mothers are afraid they are drugging their children or taking the easy way out. Constant media hype and ignorance exacerbate the mother’s experiences and they are left in a quandary of which course to follow. The purpose of this research was to investigate if mothers share similar experiences when administering Ritalin for the treatment of symptoms of ADHD. Literature indicates enormous controversy surrounding this disorder and in particular the treatment methods recommended to alleviate symptoms. There are two strongly opposed camps regarding the negativity or positivity toward utilising this schedule 7 drug. Media publicity intensifies the individual’s uncertainty of administering this drug and suggests bad parenting as the reason mothers resort to Ritalin. The goal of this study is to highlight the mother’s experiences and to become aware of their feelings and isolation when being advised that their child or children have ADHD. The lack of awareness and the uncertainty of which course to follow seems to have profound affects and cause mothers to have negative experiences. The purpose of this research is to see if mothers share similar experiences regarding the administering of Ritalin as a treatment method for ADHD. The researcher is hopeful that the outcome of this small study will assist experts, counselors and lay people to empathize and recognize the mother’s plight in this regard, and consequently for them not to feel as troubled and unaided without this knowledge. Finally, she expects that the research may help mothers to be aware that they are not alone with their predicament and sense of apprehension and uncertainty regarding the administering of a drug like Ritalin to assist in alleviating the symptoms presented. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by schools to cope with indiscipline in rural secondary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Indiscipline in secondary schools of Limpopo Province in Sekhukhune District has become an evil and dangerous influence that spreads and affects learners’ behaviour and their moral upbringing. The Department of Basic Education brought alternatives to indiscipline but these measures seem not to be working as learners continue to challenge teachers. Since corporal punishment was abolished in 1994, schools are expected to come up with strategies to deal with indiscipline. The high prevalence of indiscipline in schools in Limpopo Province has propelled the researcher to explore strategies used in South African rural schools in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province to cope with indiscipline as it affects teaching and learning. The research question was: What are strategies used by schools in Moutse Cluster to cope with indiscipline? The sub questions were: What does the policy say about addressing indiscipline? What forms of indiscipline prevail in schools? What strategies do schools use to cope with indiscipline? The study will be beneficial to policy makers, curriculum implementers, curriculum developers and advisors, the Department of Education and schools. The study was conducted in Limpopo Province, in Moteti area and Elandsrooring at Groblersdal. It was limited to senior phase teachers, teachers in disciplinary committees and class teachers. The study used qualitative research since the title sets out to develop understanding of individuals and events in their natural setting. The study used semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection. It also used purposive sampling, hence the research question sought responses from teachers and learners who had more knowledge and experience in indiscipline. The study found that there exist strategies used by schools in order to cope with indiscipline although the phenomenon is out of control. There are internal strategies such v as detention and the use of period registers that are applied in order to cope with indiscipline. There are strategies beyond the school which can be applied such as the police and involving parents. This study also made additional findings with regard to forms of indiscipline experienced by schools under this study, the effects of indiscipline on teaching and learning and how education policies influence the behaviour of learners. Key concepts: Indiscipline, disruptive behaviour, learners, coping strategies, teachers, secondary schools.

<p>Current public health initiatives recognize that obesity is increasing to epidemic proportions in developed countries. In keeping with the view of obesity as a developmental, progressive condition, targeting childhood factors that predict increases in body mass index (BMI) may result in the development of more effective prevention interventions. To date, prospective studies of child-onset psychopathology and adult overweight in representative community samples are limited by short duration of follow-up into adulthood and an inability to make psychiatric diagnoses. Where available, childhood data has been analyzed together with adolescent data, such that it is difficult to disentangle the relationship between early psychological distress and adult overweight in these developmentally heterogeneous groups. The main objective of this thesis is to examine the relationship between childhood and adolescent symptoms of (i) Depression (ii) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] and (iii) Conduct Disorder [CD] with adult overweight, in a large, prospectively followed, community sample of Canadian children.</p> <p><strong> </strong>This thesis includes the 1,992 children aged 4-11 years and 1,302 adolescents aged 12-16 years who participated in the Ontario Child Health Survey (OCHS), a provincially funded, prospective cohort study of the psychiatric and general child health of a representative sample ofOntario community children undertaken in 1983 with follow-up assessment in 2000. Data are collected from multiple informants; psychiatric disorders are determined by a combination of parental, youth and teacher self-report and interviewer-administered measures. BMI is a derived variable determined from self-reported height and weight in 2000. Multiple regression analyses are undertaken to examine the association of child and adolescent mental illness with adult overweight, after controlling for the effects of age, sex, socioeconomic status, parental psychiatric history and, among the adolescent subgroup, cigarette smoking and alcohol use.</p> <p>Adults with a history of depression, ADHD or CD identified in childhood have increased body mass (BMI = 27.2 kg/m², 27.7 kg/m², and 27.9 kg/m², respectively) compared to their nonaffected peers (BMI= 24.8 kg/m²). Children who experienced increased depressive symptoms (among boys) and CD symptoms (boys and girls) are at greater risk for future weight gain than children with fewer symptoms. Adolescent girls with Depression or Conduct Disorder are heavier in adulthood than their psychologically healthier peers. Although ADHD was initially found to be associated with adult overweight, this relationship is accounted for by the effect of conduct disturbance, regardless of child sex.</p> <p>This thesis suggests that psychopathology in childhood and adolescence predicts increased adult body mass in a large community sample ofOntarioyouth. In childhood, boys with depressive symptoms and boys and girls with disruptive behaviour are at particular risk. Among adolescents, girls with greater depressive symptoms or conduct disturbance are at increased risk of future weight gain. Research examining the trajectories of children with depressive and externalizing disorders is needed to understand the mechanism of the relationship between these disorders in childhood and eating behaviours in adulthood.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)