Chapter 8: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
By Staci Gilpin, Ph.D.
The mental health of children is a natural and vital concern for us all. Studies indicate that 6–10% of school-age children exhibit severe and persistent emotional or behavioral problems. Still, less than 1% of students in the United States are identified under IDEA and receive social, emotional, and behavioral support under the emotional or behavioral disabilities (EBD) category (Landrum, 2017). Moreover, only a tiny percentage of children with severe mental health needs receive mental health services (Forness et al., 2012). Unmet mental health needs may manifest in behaviors inconsistent with school expectations.
A heteronormative Eurocentric lens often permeates the literature regarding students with EBD, as it is widely shared that they are more likely to live in single-parent homes, foster homes, or other nontraditional living situations. Moreover, these students tend to have low rates of positive social interactions with peers in educational contexts (Lombardi, 2019). This lens forms the basis of prejudice, victimization, and discrimination toward groups, including (but not limited to) BIPOC and LGBTQI+, leading to population-specific mental health challenges. To illustrate, based on race and ethnicity, youth experience differences in the severity of mental health symptoms: Black teens have disproportionately higher rates of suicide than White teens (Price & Khubchandani, 2019); students of color who are also LGBTQI+ often have significantly more severe mental health needs (Themindclan.com, 2022). Further, there are differences among communities by race and ethnicity in the extent to which individuals seek, access, and use mental health services (DeFreitas et al., 2018).
In the school setting, students of color and others who are diverse may also exhibit challenging behaviors that manifest to some extent from unmet mental health needs; these students are more likely to experience reactive and exclusionary discipline rather than interventions or additional supports, lose instructional time, and be overrepresented in the EBD population. For example, according to federal data, Black girls are suspended at a rate six times higher than that of their White female peers. Based on these experiences, children and youth of color often have poorer outcomes than White peers (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). These discrepant outcomes are largely due to systems of oppression (systemic racism/White supremacy, patriarchy, systematized homophobia, capitalism, etc.) and persistent systemic inequalities that manifest in our society and trickle into our schools.
At this moment, it is also essential to recognize and address how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted children and students with disabilities (Pier et al., 2021), including those with EBD. School closures prevented children with disabilities across the nation from getting their services, including those related to social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. In addition, young people may bring the impact of the pandemic’s trauma with them back to school. This makes it vital for schools to consider the possibility that many students will need re-evaluation to determine whether they need more behavioral support and mental health services than before the COVID-19 pandemic (U.S. Department of Education, 2021).
Throughout this chapter, we will learn about students with emotional or behavioral challenges, the impacts on their development and school success (including trauma and cultural mismatches), and proper identification and support. We will process our learning through three case study students: (1) “Tokala,” a Native American middle schooler; (2) “Gunter,” an LGBTQ+ high schooler; and (3) “Juanita,” a Latinx elementary schooler . At different points, we will pause and revisit Tokala’s and Gunter’s stories as we apply our concepts. Then, at the end, “Juanita,” an elementary student, will be introduced, and we will also apply our concepts to support her success.