Aggressive behaviour starts from a feeling of intense emotion (like anger, fear, annoyance or frustration). It may be verbal or physical and as such, can be emotionally and physically harmful to another person. Examples include hitting, pinching, swearing, saying something mean, biting or scratching. Most young children will show aggressive behaviour at times, and it is a normal part of child development. Sometimes the feeling of being angry is justified – a young child may have had their toy stolen or feel left out, or they may feel anxious or in need of attention. The difficulty is they cannot process this feeling, and that is where the adult comes in. 

A child needs an adult to help them to find ways to understand and express their difficult feelings. If a child feels anger very strongly, but hasn’t yet learnt what it is, it is likely to feel both unpleasant and overwhelming. Adults can help them understand the feeling and make it manageable without a behaviour (verbal or physical) that will hurt them or others. Our role as adults in the child’s life is to help to moderate and contain these feelings, and this in turn then leads to the aggression decreasing as the feelings become less overwhelming. 

Young children may also not yet understand that their behaviour can hurt others, or they may not yet be empathic for the upset or pain they’re causing. Thoughtful, caring adults can support children to learn and feel safe enough to think of others. 

Videos

 Challenging Behaviour Foundation — The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) is a registered charity that was founded in 1997 by Vivien Cooper OBE, the parent of a child with severe learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges. They are the only charity focussed specifically on children, young people and adults with severe learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges. 

Mencap —  A charity that give advice on a variety of different things including health and wellbeing for everyone with a learning disability. 

National Autistic Society

Winston's Wish — Bereavement support for children with SEND.

IPSEA — Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

Bullying and cyberbullying can mean lots of different things. It can happen anywhere, including online, at school or at home. 

Bullying can include:  

• posting, commenting on or liking nasty photos, videos or posts about you online 
• being called names, teased or humiliated 
• being pushed, hit or hurt 
• having money and other stuff stolen 
• spreading rumours or starting group chats about you 
• being ignored, left out or made to feel like you're not wanted 
• being threatened, intimidated or sent nasty messages 
• trolling you or commenting on your posts or pictures saying nasty things 
• someone revealing personal details without your permission 
• targeting you over and over again in an online game

Videos

Websites

It’s normal to feel lonely sometimes, or to experience feelings of isolation. If you feel this way, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. There is support available, and things you can do to help with this feeling. 

Anybody can experience loneliness regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality or anything else. If loneliness is affecting you and your mental health, remember there is support out there and there are things you can do to help. 

Loneliness is not a mental health problem, but it can start to affect our mental health. Experiences of loneliness can make us feel sad, depressed, or give us feelings of low self-esteem. Having a mental health problem can also make you more likely to experience loneliness. Sometimes, if we are already struggling with our mental health, it can feel difficult for us to interact with loved ones in the way we usually do. This can then make us feel isolated and lonely when we didn’t feel this way before. But life doesn’t have to be this way; if you’re feeling lonely, there are things you can do to feel better. 

Websites

Anna Freud — Supporting children and young people with depression

Mind — About loneliness

Young Minds — How to cope with Loneliness

It’s normal to feel stressed and worried about exams. Stress is your body’s natural response to pressure. While it can help you focus and feel motivated to get things done, sometimes it can feel hard to manage. 

Exam stress can affect anyone and it can show up in different ways. For example, you might: 

• feel anxious or depressed 
• feel irritable and angry 
• struggle to sleep 
• notice changes to your eating habits 
• have negative thoughts about yourself 
• worry about the future 
• lose interest in the things you enjoy 
• struggle to focus and concentrate 
• feel unwell – for example, you might get headaches, feel sick or tired 

You might experience symptoms of stress that aren’t listed here, and that’s okay. We are all different and cope with stress and pressure in different ways. 

If you notice any of these feelings or you’re worried that exam pressure is taking over your life, you are not alone.

Videos

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related mental health condition. It can affect anybody, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or anything else. 

Although it can be serious and affect your daily life, it is treatable. 

There are two main parts to OCD: 

• ‘Obsessions’ – These are unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, impulses, worries, doubts or feelings that cause anxiety and distress. 
• ‘Compulsions’ - These are behaviours or rituals that people with OCD carry out to try to stop the obsession. 

Carrying out compulsions can bring short-term relief. It might feel like they are helping in the moment, but the relief is always short lived. Sooner or later, the urge to repeat the compulsions returns. Some people with OCD find that the anxiety never really goes away, even if they carry out the compulsions. 

This can create a vicious cycle of obsessions and compulsions that can feel hard to break. It can take up lots of time and cause real anxiety and distress. This can get in the way of important things like sleeping, studying and socialising. 

But remember, help is available and things can get better. 

Videos

Barnardo's

Young Minds - School anxiety & refusal 

(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice 

Not Fine in School - School Refusal, School Attendance 

National Autistic Society - Education 

Contact - the charity for families with disabled children 

British Dyslexia Association

Dyspraxia Foundation 

‘Self-care’ is a phrase you’ve probably come across, but what does it really mean? 

Judging by what we see in adverts or on social media, we might think it’s all about candles, yoga and luxury bath bombs. We might think it costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time. And we might feel like it isn’t for us. But is that really what it's all about? 

In its simplest form, self-care is just the little things we do to look after our own mental health. It’s about trying to listen to how we are feeling and understanding what we need, even if it’s difficult, so we can care for ourselves. 

This could mean taking a timeout when we're feeling overwhelmed; it could mean making time to do an activity that we know makes us feel good; or it could be as simple as making sure to do the basics like eating and sleeping well when we're struggling. 

Videos

Young Minds - What Is Self-Care? 

The MIX - A Guide To Self Care