Behaviours the challenge: What lies beneath | Australian Childhood Foundation

Children and young people who have experienced trauma can present with a range of behaviours that can seem confusing, terrifying or exhausting to the adults in their lives doing their best to support them. This workshop explores why children behave the way they do, asking: how can we help them meet their needs in a more positive way?

Children and young people use behaviour as a form of communication, especially when they lack the words, confidence, or sense of safety to express their needs directly. This workshop explores the complexity behind behaviours that challenge, beginning with a critical question: who are these behaviours truly challenging for? By reframing our perspective, we open the door to more empathetic and effective responses.

Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own understandings, tolerance levels, and the language they use when describing children’s behaviour. The way we interpret and label behaviour can either support or hinder a child’s ability to feel understood. This session promotes the application of practical strategies that prioritise safety and connection by meeting underlying needs.

Rather than focusing specifically on ‘in the moment’ deescalation strategies, this workshop explores theoretical frameworks to better understand the children and young people we work alongside and the behaviours which may challenge us.

Trauma plays a significant role in shaping behaviour. Many responses that appear challenging are, in fact, adaptive strategies developed for survival in unsafe or unpredictable environments. However, when children transition into safer settings, these behaviours may persist even though the original threat is no longer present. Understanding this disconnect is key to responding with compassion rather than frustration.

Together, we will explore what lies beneath these behaviours, moving beyond surface-level reactions to uncover unmet needs and emotional experiences. By doing so, we can support healing, foster reconnection, and help children and young people build new ways of relating to others and expressing themselves.

This workshop is the first session in our ‘Behaviours that challenge’ workshop series. Subsequent sessions in the series will dive more deeply into specific behaviours that challenge.

About the facilitator

This training is delivered by experienced professional trainers with expertise and experience in trauma-informed intervention and practice. Our trainers have a strong understanding of trauma and its impact on children and families, translating this knowledge into practice in a range of professional contexts. A focus on application to practice via discussion and strategy is a core component of the workshop.

This workshop is aimed at people working with and caring for children and young people who have experienced trauma, including child protection practitioners, mental health and allied health professionals and other therapeutic practitioners, educators and early-learning staff, family support services, and out-of-home care staff.