Risk Factors

Running head: RISK FACTORS 1

Risk Factors Which Influence Behavior

Danielle Hart

ECE 201 Intro to Early Childhood Behavior Management

Debra Lawrence

December 3, 2012

RISK FACTORS 2

Being a parent, I know from experience that some children are much more

challenging than others. Why are some children more difficult than others? Research has

shown that children come into this world with individual differences in physical make-

up (family education.com). In this paper, I will attempt to get more in depth as to why

some children are more challenging and the influences behind the reasons.

There are many factors that influence behavior. Below, I will discuss three of

those factors.

Young children are common victims of stress because they are often don’t have

the ability to communicate their feelings I the correct manner. They furthermore have

problems relaying their responses towards things which they don’t have control over.

Alopecia (hair loss) and headache are clear indicators of stress in children.

Stress can have a huge affect on children. Which, in my opinion, makes their

behavior abnormal-for lack of a better word. Stress is most often seen as an overt

physical reaction: crying, sweating palms, running away, aggressive and defensive

outbursts, rocking and self- comforting behaviors, headaches and stomachaches, nervous

fine motor behaviors, (e.g., hair twirling or pulling, chewing and sucking, biting of skin

and fingernails), toileting accidents, and sleep disturbances(Stansbury & Harris, 2000;

Fallin, Wallinga, & Coleman, 2001; Marvon 2003). Under the pressure of stress,...