I an currently pursuing an Early Childhood Education degree on-line. I would like to know what steps to take with a 4yr old boy who continuously slaps other children without a reason
Do you think that sometimes children with aggressive behaviours are just seeking attention?

You need to slap him (mildly) when he does that, sooner or later he will get the idea.

Yes, and then they'll spend about 4 years in prison for doing so....

I'm not disagreeing with the method, or the reasoning behind it, but use it at your own peril, especially if it isn't your child.. You'll find yourself being "slapped" into the slammer for 4 years and be "slapped" yourself by "Bubba"...

Good info here: https://kidshealth.org/parent/emotion...bullying.html#

Let your child know that bullying is unacceptable and that there will be serious consequences at home, school, and in the community if it continues.
Try to understand the reasons behind your child's behavior. In some cases, kids bully because they have trouble managing strong emotions like anger, frustration, or insecurity. In other cases, kids haven't learned cooperative ways to work out conflicts and understand differences.
....
Take bullying seriously. Make sure your kids understand that you will not tolerate bullying at home or anywhere else. Establish rules about bullying and stick to them. If you punish your child by taking away privileges, be sure it's meaningful. For example, if your child bullies other kids via email, text messages, or a social networking site, dock phone or computer privileges for a period of time. If your child acts aggressively at home, with siblings or others, put a stop to it. Teach more appropriate (and nonviolent) ways to react, like walking away.
....
Encourage good behavior. Positive reinforcement can be more powerful than negative discipline. Catch your kids being good � and when they handle situations in ways that are constructive or positive, take notice and praise them for it.
Set a good example. Think carefully about how you talk around your kids and how you handle conflict and problems. If you behave aggressively � toward or in front of your kids � chances are they'll follow your example. Instead, point out positives in others, rather than negatives. And when conflicts arise in your own life, be open about the frustrations you have and how you cope with your feelings.
....
When looking for the influences on your child's behavior, look first at what's happening at home. Kids who live with yelling, name-calling, putdowns, harsh criticism, or physical anger from a sibling or parent/caregiver may act that out in other settings.
....
As difficult and frustrating as it can be to help kids stop bullying, remember that bad behavior won't just stop on its own. Think about the success and happiness you want your kids to find in school, work, and relationships throughout life, and know that curbing bullying now is progress toward those goals.

__________________
.
- Jim

�Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.� Sir Winston Churchill

Reminds me of the public service announcement where the man is saying, "We never hit, do you understand? you could really hurt someone! When you feel like hitting, you need to take a 'time out' and calm down before you act."



....................................the camera pans back and he is looking into the bathroom mirror.

__________________
I'd rather meander for the prevention than race for the cure.

Sounds like some conversations I have with myself in the mirror... Remember... It's alright to talk to yourself, where it gets dicey is where you start to answer yourself...

Reminds me of speech class in jr college; The text book was called 'Looking In, Looking Out'.

The topic was your 'inner voice'. "We all have an inner voice we use to talk to ourselves, it's the voice that is saying 'what voice?' right now."

If you are caring for someone else child, especially in a professional setting, DO NOT hit that child! Of course, I would think this is common knowledge, especially in Western society.

I would consult with the parents. And I would be very strict with "time outs" and taking away "play time" and other things that kids that age value above all else. They need to be told why they are being punished ("You are being punished because you slapped so and so... if you do it again, you will be put in time out again" - this is said when they are getting released from time out).

I am no expert on the matter, so this is just my opinion, based on raising 2 young kids myself

I think you mean 'continually', but I digress.

i cannot recall any violent four year olds when I was four. Diet and behavior modeling are the two keys to everything. This could be tricky.

It absolutley is not normal for a child to hit others like this. Something is really wrong.
He may be abused at home or he may be needing the care of a professional classical homeopath to change this behavior due to internal agitation of some sort.

My son was a head banger. Hed bang his head on the floor when he didn't get his way or whenever he was mad. Homeopathy brought his energetic fields into aligment, it changed his personality. The head bangind stopped in short order.

There are a few homoepathic remedies that really deal will with children who hit others. I would not hesitate to give this system of medicine a try. Fully nontoxic.

__________________

Sometimes there could be frustration from not being able to put their thoughts into words at 4 years old, so they hit because they see it gets a reaction.
I was big on sticker charts which rewarded good behavior.
The steps I would take in this particular situation would be to show my disappointment and explain how to use words instead of hands. Make a game of acting out by putting the child in various situations where they were 'caught' keeping their hands to themself & praised for it. If they were 'caught' hitting, they get reminded that hitting is wrong & shown a timeout chair. If they make it through the day without slapping, they're given a sticker to put on their chart. The child's parents should be involved as well.

If this was my kid & they truly understood what they were doing was wrong and they continued to do it despite rewards etc, I'd spank their little butt!!

__________________

Things sure were a lot different for kids 50 years ago...

One comedian said "You know parents are so scared of their kids these days, because they can pick up the phone and call 911. In our day, the phone would be so far up their butts they wouldn't be able to call!"