9781422285695

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NORMAL IN DIFFICULT PLACES

The definition of normal behavior involves more than just a person’s age. It also has to do with where and how a person lives. Unfortunately, lots of kids do not live in safe places. They might share their home with someone who has a violent temper. Or there might be gangs and crime in their neighborhood. For those kids, it may seem normal to be more aggressive than other kids. They have seen adults around them behave that way. You might even say that aggressive behavior is expected in their environments. These kids might need more help learning how to handle their anger in a positive way. For them, the definition of “normal” is very different than for kids who grow up feeling safe.

wrong—you might have more than one bad day in a row. So how do you tell the difference between regular bad days and a disorder? The truth is, it’s not always easy to know. But one big factor involves whatever is considered normal for a specific person’s age and context . Now, normal is a strange word because it means different things to different people. What is normal for you might not be normal for someone else. But in general, we do know some basic things about normal human behavior. For example, it is normal for a three-year-old to have a tantrum. Maybe little Emma didn’t want to eat her peas, so she threw them on the floor. Emma’s behavior is disruptive, but it’s normal in terms of her development . But if Emma is still throwing food when she’s ten, that might not be normal. By that age, most of us have learned other ways to act when we’re upset.