17/08/2021
The idea that our behaviour can be motivated by the application of rewards and consequences is so deeply entrenched in our society that it can be hard to imagine any other way. It often seems like a logical and natural approach in our homes, our schools and our legal system.
But what happens if these approaches do not work? What happens if, no matter how many times a child is offered a reward, or how many times they experience a consequence, the desired behaviour never materialises? We could write that child off as a hopeless case, or we could question our fundamental assumptions and look for a different way.
In the first of two exclusive extracts from her book, The Trauma and Attachment Aware Classroom, our Education Policy Advisor, Rebecca Brooks, explains why systems of escalating consequences common in many schools so often fail to meet the mark for children with a history of trauma, neglect and loss. https://www.adoptionuk.org/blog/the-consequences-of-consequences-part-1