Managing aggression and violence at the Mulberry Bush School

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide one perspective on managing aggression and violence based upon experiences at the Mulberry Bush School. The school provides education for severely emotionally troubled young children aged from 5 to 11 years. Many have been victims of neglect or of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. They arrive with an experience of life marked by highly inconsistent, intermittent or absent caring and nurturing. Case studies are presented which provide some indication of the approach that is adopted involving interrupting and diverting aggressive behaviour, as well as helping the child to understand and begin to control aggression.