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DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS
Student behavior that interferes with academic (eg. impedes classroom management) or administrative activities and may threaten or endanger the physical/ psychological health, safety, or welfare of the student or others.
Some non-threatening disruptive behaviors like excessive use of electronic devices or tardiness, can be managed by setting effective ground rules through a well-designed syllabus.
Signs:
- Violence or threats of violence (hostile gestures, written/verbal threats, physical assaults)
- Verbal disruptions (screaming, shouting, berating others, loud crying)
- Disturbing correspondence (emails or assignments indicating threats to self or others)
- Academic assignments dominated with themes of rage, violence, and threats to self or others
- Delusions, hallucinations, confused, disorganized or bizarre behavior (yelling, pacing, talking to self, head banging etc.)
- Public Intoxication (displaying signs of hangover, strong smell of alcohol)
What to do:
- If this is an emergency (behaviors that involves threat to personal or public safety) immediately contact UPD
- Refer the student to the Student Support Team
- Consider consulting with the CARE Team or SCCS
- Consult with department head or supervisor
Important to remember:
- Take the disruptive behavior seriously but not personally
- Most of the time, ignoring the disruptions causes the behavior to escalate
- Stay calm and don’t engage in behaviors that may escalate the situation (e.g. screaming back or physically restraining the student)
- It is better to report a behavior even when there is a time lapse between its occurrence and your awareness of it