Twin Cities, MN: 'Over the last 5 to 10 years there has been a marked difference in behavior'

Dec 14, 2017, NPR Illinois State University: Mental Health Fraying Among Young Schoolchildren In B-N http://wglt.org/post/mental-health-fraying-among-young-schoolchildren-b-n#stream/0 Mental health among elementary school students is a growing problem in the Twin Cities, according to the head of the Unit 5 school district. Superintendent Mark Daniel said aggressiveness and rage can affect an entire school environment even if only two or three children per building have troubles. "I have recently met with teachers and building-level administrators and I can tell you the physical and emotional strain on educators is noticeable. It's visible. We need to take this very seriously," Daniel said on GLT's Sound Ideas. Daniel said this is fundamentally different behavior than in the past. Kindergartners and first-graders always need to have boundaries established and teachers try to create patterns of behavior. Eventually, he said, kids learn how to sit, learn how to do small groups, and go about a day. "But now we're seeing very disruptive behavior, aggressive, out of control, throwing things, smashing things, they become uncontrollable and difficult to restrain," said Daniel. Daniel said he's not sure about the source of the behavioral troubles. He said some childhood traumas can change the way young brains develop and if allowed to go unresolved can permanently shift how young people develop.... "Over the last five to 10 years there has been a marked difference in behavior of adolescent and early childhood populations compared to previous generations," said Daniel. He said the incidence of these troubles cuts across socioeconomic boundaries. These are children too young to be formally diagnosed as special needs and perhaps, he said, they would never be placed in that category....