by James Johnson

Created on: July 12, 2008   Last Updated: December 11, 2008

Everybody has known at least one, that exceptionally bright child that constantly got in trouble and refused to behave. I'm referring to the clever one that knows how to "crack" the computer codes, repair the laptop and build rockets, but instead blows up the school toilet. Many gifted children misbehave. Why?

There are two main, and a host of minor, reasons why many gifted children misbehave. The main reasons are neglect and boredom. Minor reasons can run from simple curiosity to sibling rivalry to peer pressure.

Neglect is when people take the gifted child for granted, they start concentrating on the slower or more normal children. When they were very young, everybody "oohed" and "aahed" over how quickly the gifted one learned. The teacher frequently gave them stars. Now the teacher or parents have to try to help the other children and feel the gifted one will learn by itself, but the gifted child feels left out. They can get that attention back focused on them if they misbehave!

And how does boredom cause misbehavior? The gifted child may not always feel neglected, it should be bright enough to realize the other children need more help. Unfortunately, the gifted child tries to find something to keep busy while the others are being taught. This can cause problems if it takes the form of seeing if they can break the school computer codes (Which he didn't plan to do anything with) or maybe mixing chemicals together and then flushing them down the toilet (the explosion was not intended)!

How can something as minor as curiosity cause the gifted child to misbehave? Most children wonder about things and want to experience as much as possible, the gifted mind is active and finds ways to do it! They may wonder what it is like to get a nicotine high and try smoking a cigarette or drinking alcohol to experience a "buzz"; they can get into the locked cabinets! They may wonder about sex!

Sibling Rivalry also needs to be factored in to the misbehavior of the gifted child. They want to outshine the brothers and sisters, stay in that limelight, so they try to do as much as possible. Sometimes it is by doing things that shouldn't be done, but they do get noticed!

Peer pressure is the easiest for most parents to understand but often the hardest to control. You can give more attention to solve neglect and find challenges, to stop boredom or channel curiosity, put your foot down and squash the sibling rivalry. Appropriate peers are something a parent or teacher may have a tough time choosing, and listening to the wrong peers can get the gifted child into lots of trouble!

In conclusion, there are several reasons why many gifted children misbehave, but most have the same underlying problems: Neglect, Boredom, Curiosity, Sibling Rivalry, and Peer pressure. Recognizing and handling these problems can be a problem in themselves, but must be done for the love and success of the child.

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