Common Problem Behaviors of Children and Adolescents in General Education Classrooms in the United States

The majority of incidence and prevalence studies on childhood behavioral problems report the occurrence of mental health disorders under diagnostic categories. A few studies report prevalence of specific behavior problems identified through direct observation, teacher surveys, or analyses of office discipline referrals. However, each possesses limitations that may be informed by data that report the occurrence of specific behavior problems at the classroom level. The rapidly increasing use of multitiered models of prevention and intervention will benefit from data of prevalence of problem behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify the “most common” problem behaviors in classrooms in the United States as reported by teachers on a broadband rating scale with a demographically representative sample of 3,600 children and adolescents. Results indicate 17 common problem behaviors of children and adolescents, each in four behavioral domains. Interesting findings include behaviors associated with anxiety, learning problems, and distractibility as the most commonly addressed by teachers in the classroom as opposed to the most frequently addressed by administrators, such as aggression. Implications are discussed for policy makers, teacher educators, administrators, and teachers.