This document discusses mental health in middle childhood and factors that can contribute to maladjustment in children at home and at school. It outlines signs of maladjustment such as rebellious behavior, poor academic performance, and challenging authority. Factors seen as contributing to maladjustment include family issues like divorce, lack of parental involvement, and stressful life events. The document emphasizes the important role that schools and families play in fostering mental wellness through supportive relationships, developing skills and self-esteem, managing stress, and addressing issues before they escalate. Protective strategies discussed include social-emotional learning, counseling, and open communication between parents and educators.

1. Mental Healthin Middle
Childhood
M.Sc Child Development

2. Maladjustment in Home
and School
Role of School and Family in
Ensuring Mental Health

3. A Maladjusted Child is defined
as:
 One whose behavioural and emotional
difficulties, however caused, have
prevented the child from benefiting from
ordinary social and educational
experiences of home and school and whose
difficulties will persist unless help is given by
those with appropriate skills
(Hong Kong Review of Rehabilitation Program
Plan , 1996)

4. A Maladjusted Child is defined as:
 One simply angry because of lack of love
mostly. (A.S Neill, 1976)
 One whose capacity to make relationship and
thus to identify and acquire moral standards,
has failed to develop owing to early
deprivation and maltreatment. (David Wills,
1981)

5. Manifestation of Maladjustment at
Home
 Being rebellious against parents.
 Staying out late or even absconding from
home.
 Sibling rivalry
 Being indifferent to concerns from and needs
of their families.

6. Factors Contributing To
Maladjustment In Home
 Marital disputes or divorce.
 Residential moves,
 Parent - child separation and
 Job loss

7. Manifestation of Maladjustment at
School
Disregarding school disciplines and frequent violation of
school regulations
Influencing other classmates to follow him in breaking the
rules.
Openly challenging the school authorities and insulting
teachers.
Being apathetic to school activities.
Their wayward behaviour creates conflict in schools

8.  A child’s developmental system consist of both
positive and negative constraints. (Gest, Mahoney
and Cairns, 1999)
 Positive constraints – academic success, athletic
competence, positive peer and adult relationship
and supportive adults.
 Negative constraints – academic failure,
hyperactivity, social skill deficits, antisocial peers
and a lack of supportive adult relationships.
(Farmer & Farmer 2001 )
 A child lacking positive constraints and is isolated
from good social constraints – vulnerable to
developing aggressive and antisocial behaviour.

9. Factors Contributing To
Maladjustment In School Settings
 Disengagement, absenteeism, isolation and alienation
 Bullying and relationship difficulties.
 Low academic achievement
 Violence or aggression.
 Learning disabilities.
 Cultural differences.

10. Factors Contributing To
Maladjustment In School Settings
 Low self-esteem.
 Stressful life events.
 Difficult school transitions.
 Poor connection between home
and school
 Harsh and inconsistent discipline

11. Role of School in ensuring
Mental Health
 Schools are responsible for teaching academics and also for
promoting the mental health of students.
 School Mental Health services should :
 Promote mental health of all students.
 Provide protective support to students at risk
 Support educational environment that allow all students to
cope with challenges.

12. Research shows that mental health promotion is most effective when
it takes place early in a person’s life. ( Oireachtas Library and
research services, 2012 )
International research has consistently shown that the classroom
teacher is the best placed professional to work sensitively and
consistently with pupils to effect educational outcomes.( Clarke and
Barry, 2010 )
There are evidence that students learn more effectively, including
their academic subjects, if they are happy in their work, believe in
themselves, their teacher and full school is supporting them

13. Mental Health Protective Factors
 Protective factors build and enhance resilience in
children and are a stronger predictor of positive
outcomes for children than exposure to risk factors.
( Cooper and Jacobs,2011 ).

14. Mental Health Protective Factors
In school settings the mental health protective
factors include:
 Positive relationship with peers and teachers.
 Positive mental health of school personnel.
 Participation in school and community activities.
 Opportunities for skills development and achievement.
 Recognition of contribution, effort and achievement.
 Sense of security.
 A positive school climate.
 Sense of belonging and connectedness to school.
 Effective school policies related to mental health.

15. Mental Health Protective Factors
 Protocols and support system that proactively
support children and their families at the time of
difficulties.
 Positive classroom management strategies.
 Sharing acquired knowledge and positive behaviour
management practices with parents.
 Providing opportunities for success
 Opportunities for social and emotional learning and
the development of problem solving skills.
 Support and professional development for teachers.

16. Role of Parenting in Ensuring Mental Health
 Several environmental context influence children’s
ability to successfully accomplish the developmental task
of middle childhood.
 The family environment continues to play a central role
in shaping positive development during this period.
 Warm and accepting parenting styles provide consistent
structure, discipline and expectations for behaviour to
promote adaptive development in academic, social and
emotional realms.( Macoby and Martin, 1983 )

17. Role of Parenting in Ensuring
Mental Health
 Children learn emotional regulation
by observing and modelling parental
emotional behaviour and through
socialization process within the
family.
 Children raised in families with high
levels of negative affect expression,
for example, exhibit poor emotional
awareness, frequent anger displays
and poor regulation skills.

18. Role of Parenting in Ensuring
Mental Health
Secure attachment
 Difficulties in formation of secure
attachment influence emotional
regulation in middle childhood.
 Attachment behaviour is organised by
internal working models that guide
emotion regulation throughout life.
 Failure to develop a secure attachment to
a caregiver may prelude the development
of adaptive emotion regulation skills

19. Role of Parenting in Ensuring
Mental Health
Social Competence
 Social competence encompasses a variety of behaviours and
social information-processing particularly that encompasses
successful interpersonal interactions and adaptive social
functioning.
 Harsh, punitive and inconsistent parenting can disrupt socially
appropriate and rule - governed behaviour.
 Exposure to conflict and stress within the family can negatively
influence the development of social competence.
 Conflict and violent family environments- hostility, elevated
peer conflict and poor conflict resolution skills.

20. 10 Ways To Promote Good Mental
Health In Kids
1. Model good mental health habits.
2. Make sure they get enough sleep.
3. Encourage your kids to exercise.
4. Encourage creative outlets.
5. Provide a space of their own.
6. Talk about their troubles.
7. Help them relax.
8. Have two routines - weekdays and weekends.
9. Foster volunteering and helpfulness.
10. Bring fun and playfulness into their lives.