There is no such thing as a bad boy: The Circumstances View of problem behavior

Abstract

From the beginning of recorded time human beings have assigned blame to persons who misbehave. The first prominent person to make an alternative case was Father Edward J. Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, who proclaimed there was "no such thing as a bad boy, only bad environment, bad modeling, and bad teaching" (Oursler & Oursler, 1949, p. 7) in other words, bad circumstances. This paper will refer to this perspective as the Circumstances View of problem behavior and anchor it as the foundational idea for the field of behavior analysis. This paper will discuss the origins of the Circumstances View, the benefits that result from its adoption, reasons why its adoption is not more widespread, and suggestions for disseminating it more widely.

“Why don't behavior analysts do something?”1 Behavior analysts' historical, present, and potential future actions on sexual and gender minority issues

“…Under the current circumstances, we find it tempting to vilify these people's behavior. We agree with Friman (2021) that, “behavior analysts can be just as prone as non‐behavior analysts to adopt a blame‐laden explanation for problem behavior that occurs outside the specific stimulus control of their training” (p. 6). Yet, their behavior is also a product of circumstances.…”

“…Here, we take a context‐focused, behavior‐analytic “Circumstances View” (Friman, 2021) of Rekers and Lovaas' (1974) scientific behavior related to this work. One tenet of the Circumstances View is that it applies to the behavior of all people.…”

“…These might be a reasonable starting place for those interested in pursuing SGM‐related research in solidly behavior analytic roles and spaces. Some have called for behavior analysts to practice increased flexibility around our verbal and methodological conventions toward increased relevance in “mainstream” behavioral health practice (Friman, 2004, 2010, 2021; Woods et al, 2006). We agree with these arguments in favor of “mainstreaming” behavior‐analytic science, and we think the same principles can help behavior analysts achieve increased relevance around SGM issues, as well as those related to race, ethnicity, and other marginalized aspects of identities.…”

Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations

“…In whichever area methodologies based upon the science of behavior analysis have been applied, improvements have occurred (cf. Friman, 2021 ). This is exemplified in the thousands of studies that have demonstrated positive outcomes of ABA-based interventions and procedures for autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD.…”

Meta‐analyses and effect sizes in applied behavior analysis: A review and discussion

“…Behavior analysts' use of a highly rigorous research methodology (i.e., SCED) has led to a science with a strong empirical basis. However, our rigorous yet noticeably boutique approach in isolation has at times adversely affected communication and collaboration (see Friman, 2021). Meta-analyses afford the behavioranalytic community an opportunity to disseminate SCED to those who may be less familiar with the method and behavior analysis alike.…”