Biting

Defining biting behaviour

Biting is a behaviour that involves the use of the teeth or jaw to seize, tear or chew into an object, the self, or another person. Biting can cause injuries that range in severity from a bitemark that barely breaks the skin to broken skin with bleeding, heavy bruising and wounding.

Biting hurts and may leave a mark or lead to scarring or something serious such as an infection needing medical intervention.

Child Biting incidents as part of normal development

In normal development, many children bite. Toddlers go through a stage of biting at one time or another, especially in the early years (up to age 3). Toddlers bite often to ease pain caused by teething perhaps on a teething ring. They may explore the world with their mouth or have difficulty expressing their feelings, needs and wants.

When children mature, they develop appropriate ways of communicating their needs, interacting with others, problem-solving, coping with their emotions and controlling their behaviours, which helps them outgrow the biting behaviour.

Biting behaviour of concern

Some older children, however, continue to bite. Biting become a behaviour of concern when the following occurs:

• the frequency (i.e. how often a child exhibits biting behaviour) is of concern,

• the duration (i.e. how long each incident of the biting behaviour lasts) is of concern,

• the intensity (i.e. the strength of the biting behaviour) is of concern, and

• the biting behaviour negatively impacts the child’s participation in activities, interaction with others, their day-to-day functioning and development.

Impact of biting behaviour

Biting can have significant impacts on both the child who bites and the individual who is bitten, as well as on the broader environment. Understanding these impacts is crucial for effectively managing and preventing the behaviour. Here are the various ways biting can affect those involved:

Impact on the Individual Who Bites

1. Social Consequences:

   • Isolation: If children bite, they may find themselves socially isolated by their peers who may be afraid or unwilling to interact with them.

   • Stigma: They might be labeled as aggressive or difficult, which can affect their social standing and self-esteem.

2. Emotional Consequences:

   • Guilt and Shame: The individual might feel guilty or ashamed after biting, especially if they see the distress it causes others.

   • Frustration: If biting is a result of frustration or an inability to communicate, these underlying feelings may persist or worsen.

3. Behavioural Consequences:

   • Reinforcement of negative behaviour: Without proper intervention, biting can become a learned way to get attention or control a situation.

Impact on the Individual Who is Bitten

1. Physical Consequences:

   • Injury: Being bitten can cause pain, bruises, or more serious injuries, which may require medical attention.

   • Infection Risk: Human bites can sometimes lead to infections, necessitating further medical care.

2. Emotional Consequences:

   • Fear and anxiety: Being bitten can cause fear or anxiety about interacting with peers, particularly the individual who bit them.

   • Distrust: The individual might develop distrust toward others, leading to social withdrawal.

Impact on Caregivers and Staff

1. Stress and Burnout:

   • Emotional strain: Managing incidents can be stressful and emotionally draining for caregivers, leading to burnout.

   • Increased supervision: Caregivers may need to increase their supervision levels, which can be exhausting and challenging.

2. Professional Challenges:

   • Conflict with caregivers: Staff may face difficult conversations with caregivers of both the biting child and the bitten child, which can create tension and conflict.

Impact on the Environment

1. Safety Concerns:

   • Trust issues: Parents may become concerned about the safety and supervision in the care setting, potentially affecting the organisation's reputation.

   • Enrolment impact: Repeated incidents of bring bitten can lead to concerns that might cause some parents to withdraw their children from the program.

2. Group Dynamics:

   • Tension: Biting can disrupt the harmony of the group, leading to increased tension and conflicts.

   • Behavioural issues: Other children might mimic biting behaviour if it seems to achieve desired outcomes for the child that bites.

Hence, biting behaviour affects everyone involved and help is necessary for the child to learn positive ways of behaving and managing their emotions, to express strong feelings.

Positive behaviour and biting behaviour

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) focuses on evidence-based strategies and person-centred supports that address the needs of the individual and the underlying causes of behaviours of concern, to enhance the quality of life for both the individual and those that support them.

PBS recognises that there is no single cause for a behaviour.

It is a complex behaviour that is a product of the interaction between multiple factors contributing to its development and persistence.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) offers a framework for managing and preventing biting behaviour in through proactive, educational, and respectful strategies.

PBS focuses on understanding the reasons behind the behaviour, teaching alternative, more appropriate ways to meet the individual's needs by outlining management and prevention strategies.

What strategy should be used to prevent biting?

Preventing biting behaviour, especially in children in childcare, requires a combination of understanding the underlying causes, teaching alternative behaviours, and creating a supportive environment. Here are some effective strategies to prevent behaviour of concern:

1. Identify triggers: Observe the situations or conditions that lead to incidents. Common triggers can include frustration, anger, lack of communication skills, teething, or seeking attention. Understanding these triggers can help in developing targeted interventions.

2. Teach alternative communication: Often, behaviour is a result of an inability to express needs, wants or feelings. Teach the individual alternative ways to communicate their feelings or needs, such as using words, gestures, or signs. For example, teach a child to say "I'm angry" or to use a signal when they need attention or are feeling overwhelmed.

3. Provide teething relief: For the child and toddlers teething, provide appropriate teething toys such as teething rings or cold items to chew on. This can help soothe their gums and reduce the urge to bite others.

4. Promote positive social interactions: Encourage and model positive social interactions. Reinforce behaviours such as sharing, taking turns, and using gentle touches. Praise and reward positive interactions to encourage more of the same behaviour.

5. Set clear and consistent boundaries: Establish clear rules and consistently enforce them. Use simple, firm language to communicate that biting is not acceptable, such as "No biting. Being bitten hurts."

6. Teach emotional regulation: Help individuals learn how to manage and cope with their emotions and anger. Teach techniques such as deep breathing, counting to ten, or taking a break when feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. Provide support and guidance in managing strong emotions.

7. Provide supervision and guidance: Closely supervise situations where a child is likely to bite and intervene early to prevent incidents. Guide individuals towards appropriate behaviours and redirect them when necessary.

8. Create a calm environment: Reduce environmental stressors that may contribute to biting. Maintain a calm and predictable routine, provide a quiet space for individuals to retreat to when they feel overwhelmed, and ensure that the environment is conducive to positive interactions.

9. Use visual supports: For young children or individuals with communication difficulties, use visual supports such as pictures, charts, or social stories to reinforce appropriate behaviours and routines.

10. Offer consistent consequences: If biting occurs, provide consistent and appropriate consequences. Ensure that the consequence is related to the behaviour and helps the individual understand the impact of their actions. For example, removing the child from the situation for a brief period (time-out) can be effective.

11. Reinforce positive behaviour: Catch individuals being good and reinforce positive behaviours with praise, attention, and rewards. Positive reinforcement can help reduce the frequency by encouraging alternative, desirable behaviours.

12. Seek professional help: If biting persists despite your efforts, consider seeking help from a child psychologist, behaviour specialist, or other professionals. They can provide additional strategies and support tailored to the individual's needs.

By implementing these strategies consistently and with empathy, you can help prevent biting behaviour and promote a safer, more positive environment for everyone involved.

How to respond to biting behaviour?

1. Immediate and Appropriate Responses:

   • Stay calm: Respond calmly to avoid escalating the situation.

   • Separate safely: Gently and quickly separate the individual who bit from the victim.

   • Comfort the victim: Provide immediate comfort and attention to the individual who was bitten.

   • Address the biter: Firmly but gently explain that biting is not acceptable and hurts others.

   • Use natural consequences: Implement appropriate consequences, such as a brief time-out.

2. Document incidents:

   • Keep detailed records of biting incidents to identify patterns and triggers.

   • Use this information to adjust strategies and interventions as needed.

3. Communicate with caregivers:

   • Inform caregivers about biting incidents and the steps being taken to address them.

   • Work collaboratively with caregivers to ensure consistency in responses and strategies at home.

4. Professional development for staff:

   • Provide training for staff on managing biting and other behaviours of concern

   • Encourage staff to share experiences and strategies for addressing the behaviour of concern.

By consistently implementing these strategies, childcare providers can effectively manage and reduce biting behaviour, creating a safer and more positive environment for everyone.

Positive behaviour support resource for biting behaviour

Based on the evidence-based Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach, this user-friendly guide, B for Biting, will help you develop a comprehensive PBS plan step-by-step. You will learn how to do the following:

1. Determine why your child is biting (assess),

2. Respond appropriately when the child bites (manage), and

3. Prevent them from biting (prevent).

Use the practical tools (checklists, forms, and strategies) provided to develop comprehensive PBS plans that can be used to support children of all ages consistently in all contexts.

This invaluable resource is useful for parents, childcare educators, early childhood workers, primary and secondary school educators, supervisory, allied health professionals, and mental health professionals.