ABSTRACT
A class of 7-year-old children arrives for their žrst day of school.* The teacher assigns seats to the students who, for the most part, accept this without questioning and sit down. One child becomes angry, goes over to another child and says in a commanding voice, “Get up from that chair! I want it. Go sit over there.” The surprised child turns to the teacher for assistance, who promptly directs the žrst child to sit in his assigned seat without further disruptive behavior. He looks her directly in the eye and says, “That’s the seat I want, and you keep out of my business!” The child is sent to the principal’s ofžce. After a “discussion” with the principal about the value of respect for others, the child returns to the classroom. Several weeks go by during which the teacher notices that the child is having difžculty organizing his work, focusing on tasks, and completing assignments. On the playground, the child is frequently involved in žghts and is isolated socially. The teacher requests a meeting with the child’s parents who listen to the teacher recount these events. The father then says, “He needs to know who’s boss here. You need to manage these kids!” Mom sits sheepishly, saying nothing, looking quite detached.
