Negative Behaviours – JSS3 Civic Education Lesson Note (Second Term)

Negative behaviours are actions, attitudes or habits that harm individuals, relationships, organisations or the work environment. They can reduce productivity, create conflicts and spread a negative atmosphere.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of negative behaviours;
2. list ten common examples of negative behaviours;
3. describe each example in their own words;
4. state the effects of negative behaviours on individuals, relationships and the work environment;
5. suggest ways of avoiding and correcting negative behaviours.

What are negative behaviours?

Negative behaviours are actions, attitudes or habits that have a harmful impact on individuals, relationships, organisations or the overall work environment.

• Actions: things a person does, such as stealing or bullying.
• Attitudes: the way a person thinks and feels, such as constant complaining.
• Habits: things a person repeats often, such as coming late.
• Where they occur: at home, in school, at work and in the community.
• Effect: they hinder productivity, create conflicts and contribute to a negative atmosphere.

What are the common examples of negative behaviours?

There are ten common examples of negative behaviours: dishonesty, excessive negativity, lack of accountability, poor communication, toxicity, resistance to change, lack of teamwork, unreliability, insubordination and unprofessionalism.

1. Dishonesty: engaging in deceitful or fraudulent behaviour, such as lying, cheating or stealing. Example: copying answers in an examination.
2. Excessive negativity: consistently displaying a negative attitude, complaining excessively or spreading negativity to others. Example: a student who always says every school project is useless.
3. Lack of accountability: avoiding responsibility for one’s actions, not taking ownership of mistakes or blaming others. Example: blaming a classmate for a broken window you broke.
4. Poor communication: engaging in disrespectful or ineffective communication, such as being rude, dismissive or unresponsive. Example: ignoring a teacher’s question.
5. Toxicity: engaging in behaviours that create a toxic work environment, such as gossiping, spreading rumours or bullying. Example: spreading a false story about a classmate.
6. Resistance to change: being unwilling to adapt to new ideas, processes or changes in the workplace. Example: refusing to use a new method the school introduces.
7. Lack of teamwork: refusing to collaborate, undermining colleagues or prioritising personal interests over team goals. Example: doing nothing during a group assignment.
8. Unreliability: consistently failing to meet deadlines, commitments or obligations. Example: never submitting homework on time.
9. Insubordination: disregarding authority, refusing to follow instructions or challenging the authority of supervisors or managers. Example: refusing a prefect’s or teacher’s lawful instruction.
10. Unprofessionalism: engaging in inappropriate behaviour, such as disrespectful language, inappropriate jokes or violating workplace policies. Example: a worker who uses abusive words with customers.

What are the effects of negative behaviours?

Negative behaviours harm the person who practises them, the people around them and the place where they occur.

Effects on individuals

• Loss of trust: people stop believing a person who lies or breaks promises.
• Poor results: a student or worker who is unreliable often performs badly.
• Punishment: offenders may face discipline, suspension or dismissal.
• Bad reputation: a bad name is hard to repair.

Effects on relationships

• Quarrels: rumours and rude speech create conflicts.
• Broken friendships: people avoid those who bully or gossip.
• Fear and hurt: victims of bullying feel unsafe and unhappy.

Effects on the work environment

• Reduced productivity: time is wasted on arguments and unfinished tasks.
• Poor teamwork: members stop cooperating.
• Negative atmosphere: workers or students lose interest and morale.
• Damaged image: the school or organisation loses respect in the community.

What causes negative behaviours?

Negative behaviours arise from a mix of personal, family and social influences.

• Peer pressure: wanting to copy friends who behave badly.
• Poor upbringing: lack of proper moral training at home.
• Lack of guidance: no one corrects the wrong behaviour early.
• Bad examples: copying what is seen in the community or on screen.
• Desire for quick gain: wanting success without hard work.

How can negative behaviours be corrected?

Negative behaviours can be corrected through honest self-checking, guidance and good practice.

1. Admit that the behaviour is wrong.
2. Find out why it happens and what it causes.
3. Apologise to anyone who was hurt.
4. Replace the behaviour with a positive one, such as honesty or punctuality.
5. Ask parents, teachers or counsellors for advice.
6. Choose friends who set good examples.

What is the difference between dishonesty and lack of accountability?

Dishonesty is deliberately deceiving others by lying, cheating or stealing.

Lack of accountability is refusing to accept responsibility for one’s own actions or mistakes.

Evaluation

1. What are negative behaviours?
2. State three ways negative behaviours can affect a work environment.
3. Name five common negative behaviours.
4. What is the difference between dishonesty and lack of accountability?
5. Give two examples of toxicity in the workplace.

Assignment

Choose any four negative behaviours from the list above. Write two sentences on each to explain what it means.