ECAP. Popular Topics. Dealing with Biting Behaviors in Young Children
Dealing with Biting Behaviors in Young Children
Ron Banks and Sojin Yi
Biting behavior in young children is a cause of concern for parents and child caregivers. Although little empirical research focuses specifically on this topic (Claffey, Kucharski, & Gratz, 1994), a variety of practical resources offer some guidance to parents and caregivers. This report discusses (1) why young children bite, (2) how common biting problems are, (3) what interventions might be considered, and (4) how teachers or caregivers can interact with and involve parents in dealing with biting behavior.
Why do young children bite?
The literature suggests that biting may be a normal
developmental phase for infants and toddlers, with virtually no long-lasting
developmental significance. Once a child turns 3 years old, however,
biting may indicate other behavioral problems, especially if the biting
incidents are frequent. Because of the developmental nature of most
biting, experts stress that biting is not something to blame on the
child, parents, or teachers (Greenman & Stonehouse, 1994).
For infants, developmental theorists suggest that
biting is probably a form of exploration--infants use their mouths
to explore because it is one of the most developed parts of their
bodies. Biting in infants may also be a primitive f
it is likely that the infant does not connect biting to pain experienced
by others (Claffey, Kucharski, & Gratz, 1994; Marlowe, 1999;
Oesterreich, 1995). Infants also are impulsive and lack self-
some babies may bite simply because someth
others bite when they are excited or over-stimulated (e.g., music
stimulates the infant, who then bites because he or she is so happy
and excited) (Greenman & Stonehouse, 1994). Thus, the literature
concludes that infants bite because they want to smell and touch
objects, experiment with cause and effect, or relieve teething pain
(the National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC,
1996] suggests offering infants who are teething chew toys, frozen
bagels, or other safe items--see ).
Oesterreich (1995) and other theorists believe
that, as with infants, biting in toddlers between 12 and 36 months
old is a form of communication (i.e., to communicate frustration
while learning social, language, and self-control skills). Oesterreich
also posits that toddlers seldom plan ahead, but rather that they
see and act on what they are experiencing at the moment. Toddlers,
Oesterreich claims, do not have the language necessary to control
a situation, or their attempts at communication are not understood
or respected. Biting becomes a powerful way to communicate with
and control others and the environment. Biting demonstrates autonomy
and is a quick way to get a toy or attention (Oesterreich, 1995).
Many toddlers display extreme ranges of emotions, both happy and
sad, and they lack labels for communicating these emotions. Too
many challenges (from activities that are too difficult), demands,
wants, and obstacles can anger and frustrate toddlers and may lead
to biting. Many toddlers do not yet understand sharing or that touch
can hurt, and they need to learn other ways to communicate besides
biting (Claffey, Kucharski, & Gratz, 1994).
Child caregivers have noted that toddlers may also
bite when they experience a stressful event, a particularly distressing
lack of routine, or inadequate adult interaction. According to Claffey,
Kucharski, and Gratz (1994), toddlers may be more apt to bite if
they have not interacted with adults for more than 5 minutes. Other
toddlers may bite as a self-defense strategy, or they may simply
be imitating other toddlers who bite (Marlowe, 1999; NAEYC, 1996).
Preschoolers
Occasional or rare biting from preschoolers may
occur for some of the same reasons as it does for infants and toddlers--to
exert control over a situation, for attention, as a self-defense
strategy, or out of extreme frustration and anger. Frequent biting
after a child turns 3, however, may indicate other behavior problems,
because by that time many children have the communication skills
necessary to relate their needs without biting. Kranowitz (1992)
speculates that biting may also be caused by sensory integration
dysfunction in a small number of young children. She suggests that
developmental screening for preschoolers may be useful to identify
children with tactile dysfunction. (These children may respond negatively
to touch sensations, becoming anxious, hostile, or aggressive. They
may be under- or over-responsive to touch, or react negatively when
others are close. Light touches from behind may be particularly
distressing, leading, in some situations, to biting.)
Incidence of biting behaviors
The National Association for the Education of Young
Children (1996) estimates that 1 out of 10 toddlers/2-year-olds
engages in biting behaviors. Garrard, Leland, and Smith (1988) examined
the injury log of one large (224 children) early childhood center.
They also studied the biographical information about each child
filled out by the parent at the time of admission and financial
records to document enrollment. They determined that 347 bites occurred
during the study year. Seventy-two bites were attributed to infants,
195 to toddlers, and 80 to preschoolers. The highest incidence of
biting behavior occurred in September, and male toddlers initiated
most episodes.
Of the 224 children enrolled in the center, 29
were infants (0-16 months), 62 were toddlers (16-30 months), and
133 were preschoolers (30-72 months). Toddlers were the most likely
each toddler on average initiated 3.13 bites per 100 days
of enrollment (the figure was 3.66 for males and 2.3 for girls).
The corresponding figure for infants was .7129 bites and, for preschoolers,
.5611 bites. No gender differences were noted in the infant and
preschooler group. Finally, no demographic characteristic predicted
children who were bitten vs. those not bitten other than number
of days of enrollment (newer children were more likely to be bitten)
(Garrard, Leland, & Smith, 1988).
What to do when biting occurs
No research was located for this report that evaluated
different strategies for handling biting incidents, but the literature
does present some practical ideas and strategies for dealing with
a biting child offered by experts, child caregivers, and parents.
Respond immediately
Infants may not yet understand the difference between
biting a toy and biting a person, so a repeated message in an honest
tone of voice that conveys pain (saying &Ouch, that hurt me,
Joey!&) can help teach infants age 4 months and older not to
bite others (Marlowe, 1999).
The literature strongly suggests that caregivers
and parents not bite the child back as a punishment or to show the
child how it feels to be bitten. Biting back communicates to the
child that violence is acceptable (Claffey, Kucharski, & Gratz,
1994; Garcia, 1999; NAEYC, 1996). Because theorists think that biting
may be related to the child's developmental stage, punishment in
general is not advised either at home or in a child care center
(Greenman & Stonehouse, 1994). Instead, experts recommend focusing
attention on the victim, shielding the victim from the biter, initiating
first aid measures as necessary, and consoling the victim (Claffey,
Kucharski, & Gratz, 1994; Greenman, 1995).
Garcia (1999) and Greenman and Stonehouse (1995)
suggest that biters who have reached age 2 or older may benefit
from assisting in the first aid process. The biter can assist the
victim by demonstrating &gentle touching,& having the
biter rub the victim's arm, and generally assisting with taking
care of the victim to teach nurturing behavior (without letting
these activities become a game). Other sources recommend that biters
should be removed from the situation without dramatic movements,
attention, or an emotional response that could provide negative
reinforcement to the biter. Parents and caregivers can tell the
biter that &biting is not OK,& &I can't let you hurt
your friends,& etc. Toddlers in particular may not understand
time-out, but caregivers need to make sure that the biter is not
near other children until he or she has calmed down and can be redirected
to other play (Garcia, 1999; Greenman, 1995; NAEYC, 1996).
Stress communication skills
Greenman (1995) suggests that emphasis be placed
on teaching biters to develop and use their expressive communication
skills instead of biting, so that they can learn to &use words&
to express their feelings. Good caregivers consistently promote
the child's use of language to enhance cognitive development, and
some experts believe that promoting children's language development
is also helpful to reduce biting behaviors. For example, if another
child is taking a toy away from a child who has a history of biting,
caregivers can teach the potential biter to say &stop,&
&mine,& etc., and tell the child &We don't bite people,
we bite food& or &It hurts when you bite& (Hewitt,
1995). Claffey, Kucharski, and Gratz (1994) and Legg (1993) suggest
that using positive language to tell the child to &touch gently&
rather than &don't hit/bite& can be helpful. They also
suggest that caregivers can help children verbalize their feelings
by saying &You look angry, Peter. Tell Amy to stop pulling,
you don't like that.& Caregivers and parents should try to
be specific with their language. Instead of saying &Stop being
mean to Peter,& for example, they can say &Peter is angry
because you are taking his truck.& Experts also recommend consistently
teaching the child to say &no& to other children rather
than biting (Todd, 1996).
Examine context
Experts recommend that efforts be made to examine
the pattern of biting incidents to determine if factors such as
crowding, over-stimulation, lack of toys, lack of attention or supervision,
or other factors seem to precede biting episodes. Garcia (1999)
suggests that caregivers become adept at observing the child's physical
state and noticing whether factors such as new teeth or other kinds
of pain on a given day seem to be associated with increased biting
episodes. Caregivers might think about whether children bite when
their bowels are irregular, when they are hungry, or when they are
sleepy. Some experts believe that emotions and stress inducers such
as a new baby in the house may also be associated with an increase
in biting episodes for individual children (Garcia, 1999).
Create positive physical and learning environments
If caregivers determine that a child is biting
more than once a day for more than a week, experts suggest that
it is probably time to develop a plan to decrease the biting. They
recommend attempting to break the cycle by varying activities and
the child's schedule. Legg (1993) suggests that it may help to break
up the density of the toddlers in the room to enhance program quality
(one group goes outside, another stays in the room, etc.). Experts
suggest tracking these changes so that there is a written record
that can help to determine the context of the biting incidents and
to show the results of interventions (Claffey, Kucharski, &
Gratz, 1994; Hewitt, 1995).
Greenman (1995), Hewitt (1995), and NAEYC (1996)
suggest that attempting to maintain a consistent routine, developing
and maintaining rituals, and finding effective ways of calming children
after energetic activity or during transition times (using calming
music, relaxed/calming physical contact, etc.) may serve to relieve
the conditions that lead to biting episodes. These experts also
recommend avoiding grouping biters and previous victims together
to the extent possible.
Several experts (e.g., Claffey, Kucharski, &
Gratz, 1994; Garcia, 1999; Greenman, 1995) suggest that caregivers
examine the center environment and try to minimize congestion and
confusion, competition for toys and adult attention, frustration,
and boredom. Young children do better in small groups, according
to these experts, so spreading out activities and staff may help
reduce undesirable behaviors. They also suggest the following strategies
for caregivers:
Be aware of the children's favorite toys and
educational materials and duplicate these (because sharing is
not always in the toddler's behavioral repertoire!).
Provide a variety of options and motor/sensory
choices (e.g., make the toys and climbing structures challenging
but not so frustrating that the children become angry or bored).
Adjust the schedule so that the children eat and nap when they
are beginning to get hungry and tired rather when these conditions
become extreme.
Find ways to strengthen the sense of security/stability
in the environment.
Maintain a consistent routine that minimizes
surprises for children.
Ensure prime times with the child's favorite
primary caregiver.
Create warm/cozy places to be.
Avoid unnecessary staffing changes.
Develop/maintain group rituals.
Claffey, Kucharski, and Gratz (1994) detail other
environmental factors to consider, such as creating a balance of
open and closed spaces so that the children may move about freely
but also feel protected and not feel overwhelmed. They suggest that
counters and shelves be low so that the children are always kept
in sight. Colors should be chosen carefully so that the overall
color environment is not too stimulating. Noise-absorbing materials
should be used so that the environment offers a sense of warmth
and security. Materials can be open-ended so they may be used in
many different ways to accommodate differing abilities (choosing
blocks that can be stacked, sorted, classified, etc.).
The Web site of the Children's Environments Research
and Design Group at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee offers
additional guidance in the area of environmental design for young children [see http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/cerdg/].
Educate teachers and caregivers
Legg (1993) suggests that teachers and caregivers
need to understand why children bite and the range of developmental
issues that arise when toddlers are in group care. They should understand
that very young children really are not developmentally ready to
share, and that toddlers communicate physically before they are
ready to use language. Because their social conscience and expressive
communication skills are limited, toddlers may tend to shove, push,
and bite. Claffey, Kucharski, and Gratz (1994) note that properly
trained caregivers will be able to engage in positive guidance to
show the children in their care how to play safely and to be considerate
of others. Caregivers also must become adept at mediating disputes.
They should anticipate problem situations and stay alert. If a particular
child has difficulty in transitions, for example, the caregiver
should stay close to the child and praise positive behavior, especially
for children who bite. Caregivers can teach children age-appropriate
ways to control themselves, which will encourage confidence and
serve to guide children who bite toward self-control and away from
biting. NAEYC (1996) suggests that the key to successful management
of biting is understanding--for kids and adults alike. Staff at
center-based programs need to recognize that biting is as normal
and natural as toileting and tantrums, yet accept their responsibility
to provide and maintain a safe environment (Greenman & Stonehouse,
Plan for biting epidemics
When a rash of biting incidents occurs in a center,
Greenman (1995), Legg (1993), and Hewitt (1995) suggest that the
following steps be taken:
Meet with the director and room staff.
Chart every occurrence and indicate location,
time, participant behaviors, etc.
Evaluate the immediate staff response to ensure
appropriateness (comforting bitten child and treating injury,
providing a cool, firm disapproving response to the biter that
does not inadvertently reinforce the behavior).
Determine the context of the biting incidents:
analyze, chart, and profile.
Shadow children who have a biting tendency--anticipate
biting situations and teach non-biting responses, adapting the
program as necessary. Staff might shadow a severe biter for 2
weeks to prevent the behavior, because there is some evidence
that if staff can prevent biting during this time period, the
behavior will dissipate.
If necessary, briefly place young children who
bite in a crib or playpen to contain the child who is engaging
in frequent biting, if the shadowing teacher has to do something
Shadow children who tend to be bitten and anticipate
potenti teach children who get bitten responses
that will minimize the chance of their becoming victims.
Consider early transition to another room for
children who bite frequently, because the older children are better
able to defend themselves.
Extreme biting epidemics may require extra help
from a consultant, parent educator, or counselor, especially if
the behavior occurs daily or persists.
Parent communication
Much of the literature that is focused on issues
related to biting also addresses communicating with and involving
parents. Most experts st they recommend that
teachers or directors NOT reveal the identity of the child who is
biting to parents of other children. Instead, experts suggest that
child caregivers assure the parents that they are aware of the problem
and are working toward solutions, but that all children are capable
of having problems with biting. Parents should know that biting
is a normal occurrence for many children in group care situations,
particularly when they are in the toddler stage (Greenman &
Stonehouse, 1994; Legg, 1993; Todd, 1996). These authors also recommend
that parents be apprised of the possibility of biting incidents
occurring in child care facilities during the initial intake process,
or when infants are making the transition into the toddler room.
Legg (1993) also recommends that apologizing to
family members is not an effective strategy, because an apology
implies that there is a foolproof way to prevent the incidents.
Instead, she suggests relating to the parents what is being done
to insure the safety of all of the children. She also recommends
focusing on what first aid treatments are used when incidents occur
and what else is being done for children who are bitten.
As explained by Greenman and Stonehouse (1994),
in extreme cases, termination or suspension of the biting child
from a center may become necessary. The center should have a policy
that offers guidance related to how long a severe biting problem
can be allowed to continue. It is important that the parents of
the biter be notified early of this possibility so that they can
begin to make inquiries regarding alternate child care arrangements.
Legg (1993) suggests that in many cases enrollment may only need
to be temporarily suspended until the child improves his or her
communication skills.
Claffey, Kucharski, and Gratz (1994) and NAEYC
(1996) recommend that caregivers try to determine whether biting
is occurring at home. Breaking the biting pattern will be difficult
in an early childhood center if biting is allowed to occur at home
without the same formal interventions being applied at the center.
Marlowe (1999) advocates teaching parents to offer choices so that
the child is given power and control at least a few times a day.
Caregivers can keep parents informed about their child's favorite
toy, what happened in the school day, etc. Overall, experts note
that it is essential to maintain positive relationships with parents
during biting outbreaks, to keep parents informed of the strategies
being employed, to empathize with parents of both biters and victims
regarding their feelings of helplessness related to the safety of
their children, and to communicate to parents the staff training
and intervention efforts that are occurring to remedy the problem
(Greenman, 1995; Greenman & Stonehouse, 1994; Legg, 1993).
Conclusion
Understanding the developmental factors that contribute
to biting behavior can help parents and caregivers make environmental
or programmatic changes as necessary to m caregivers
need to provide accurate information to parents (Reguero de Atiles,
Stegelin, & Long, 1997). Guidance to children who bite should
be provided with the goal of helping children develop inner control
of their feelings and actions. A quick and consistent response at
home and in the center can help children who bite learn to express
their feelings in words so that they can become better able to control
their behavior (Claffey, Kucharski, & Gratz, 1994; Garcia, 1999).
References
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Garcia, Veronica. (1999). Understanding and preventing
toddler biting. Texas Child Care, 23(1), 12-15. (ERIC Journal
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Garrard, J.; Leland, N.; & Smith, D. K. (1988).
Epidemiology of human bites to children in a day-care center. American
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Greenman, Jim. (1995). Reality bites (frequently):
Biting at the center--Part 2. Child Care Information Exchange,
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Teachers and parents working out developmental issues in young children.
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the parent you want to be.
Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. The complete
and authoritative guide.
No Biting: Policy and Practice for Toddler Programs.
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