An analysis of the behavioral and classroom interactions of children exposed to methamphetamine in the home

This study examined the behavioral and classroom interactions of children who had been exposed to methamphetamine abuse in their home environments. The population of the study included five third grade students who had been exposed to methamphetamine and five students in the same class and grade who were not exposed to methamphetamine as a comparison group. During the ten-week observation period all students were observed five times for a period of twenty minutes per observation. All participants in the study were unidentified to the teachers and staff. For the purposes of this study two questions were examined: (1) Are there common trends or differences in behaviors among children who have been environmentally impacted by methamphetamine and children of the same age, gender, and classroom? (2) Are there common trends or differences in behaviors among children who have been environmentally impacted by methamphetamine, but who are not in the same classroom?; The research questions addressed comparisons of behaviors of students exposed and unexposed in the same classroom as well as all students exposed and unexposed in different classrooms. The State Event Classroom Observation System (SECOS) was used to determine the amount of time students spent engaged in seat work, looking around, other activities, socially interacting with a child, socially interacting with a teacher, and out of their seat. It also determined how frequently the student was out of their seat, approaching another child, other child approaching them, raising their hand, calling out, and teacher approaching the child during the twenty-minute observation.; The following conclusions were drawn as a result of the analysis of the data gathered from the observations conducted with the students. The students who were exposed to methamphetamine spent significantly more time engaged in activities other than schoolwork. The students who were exposed to methamphetamine spent less time socially interacting with the teacher. The students who were exposed to methamphetamine were much more likely to approach another child than they were to be approached. The students who were exposed to methamphetamine spent more time alone than students who were not exposed.