Justice And Power - 2 Lenses to Positive Behaviour Support We Shouldn’t Ignore

Not all behaviour is about trauma, sensory needs, or skill deficits.
Sometimes, it’s about power.

Or more specifically: the lack of it.

We see it when a participant refuses to follow a schedule that’s been handed to them without consultation.

Or when someone “acts out” after being excluded from decisions that affect their own life.

Or when a young person “shuts down” after being told again what they can’t do, without being offered what they can.

In PBS, we often look for function. But we also need to look for oppression.
Because when people aren’t given a voice, they find other ways to speak.

Sometimes loudly.
Sometimes destructively.
Sometimes in ways that are labelled as “non-compliant.”

But underneath that is often a very human message:
“Let me choose something.”
“Let me be heard.”
“Let me have a say in my own life.”

This is where PBS intersects with human rights.
With dignity of risk.
With consent, participation, and agency.

Ethical PBS isn’t just about reducing behaviours.
It’s about restoring power, especially to those who’ve had it taken from them.