The psychology of containment: (mis) representing emotional and behavioural difficulties in Australian schools

Abstract

The number of students in special schools has increased at a rapid rate in some Australian states, due in part to increased enrolment under the categories of emotional disturbance (ED) and behaviour disorder (BD). Nonetheless, diagnostic distinctions between ED and BD are unclear. Moreover, despite international findings that students with particular backgrounds are over-represented in special schools, little is known about the backgrounds of students entering such settings in Australia. This study examined the government school enrolment data from New South Wales, the most populous of the Australian states. Linear and quadratic trends were used to describe the numbers and ages of students enrolled in special schools in the ED and BD categories. Changes between 1997 and 2007 were observed. Results showed an over-representation of boys that increased across the decade and a different pattern across age for boys and girls. Consistent with international findings, these results indicate that trends in special school placements are unrelated to disability prevalence in the population. Rather, it is suggested that schools act to preserve time and resources for others by removing their more challenging students: most typically, boys.

Keywords:

• emotional disturbance
• behaviour disorder
• enrolment patterns
• special schooling

Notes

1. In addition to ‘mental health problems’, the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities (DEC) recognises five other categories of disability including autism spectrum disorders and disabilities relating to intellectual, physical, hearing and/or vision impairment.

2. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000), externalising disorders are defined as those in which difficulties are expressed externally, through disruptive or challenging displays of behaviour. They include ADHD, ODD and CD. Internalising disorders are defined as those in which difficulties are expressed internally through disruptive or maladaptive cognition. They include depression, anxiety and Bipolar Disorder.

3. The government school sector in NSW is also the most transparent of any Australian state, in that the number, gender and age of students in mainstream classes, special schools and support classes are made available. While special school enrolment numbers are made available for each disability classification, the number of students with disability classifications within mainstream classes is not.

4. Note that performance levels are available at a school-level only: thus, no distinction is able to be made between students with a BD categorisation and those with an ED categorisation.