Descriptive analysis of teachers' responses to problem behavior following training.

Crane et al. (2009) watched teachers after they finished behavior-training workshops.

The team wrote down every time a child acted out and how the teacher reacted.

They wanted to see if stopping the misbehavior made teachers more likely to repeat their own response.

Teachers often backed off or gave the child a break right after problem behavior.

When the child quieted down, the teacher’s move looked like it “worked,” so the teacher did it again.

In short, teachers were getting escape reinforcement—relief—each time they retreated.

Dunlap et al. (1991) already showed that severe kid behavior makes adults teach less. Laura’s team extends that idea: adults don’t just teach less; they also learn an escape habit.

Thomas et al. (1968) proved teacher attention can drive disruption up or down. Laura adds the flip side: child disruption can also shape teacher behavior through escape.

Mitteer et al. (2018) saw caregiver relapse in a lab. Laura saw the same process live in classrooms, confirming the pattern is real, not just a lab quirk.

If you coach teachers, watch for your own escape moves too. When a student yells and you immediately send him out, the quiet that follows can trick you into repeating the cycle. Build a plan that helps the teacher stay put and teach—such as quick compliance tasks or pre-planned breaks—so escape no longer pays off for either party.