Acting out infantil : puesta en escena frente al desamparo del Otro familiar en el contexto escolar.

Abstract

This study analyzed behavioral manifestations in school-aged children that become relevant when the adult figure at home loses consistency. The objective was to analyze acting out in childhood as the child's enactment of the absence of the family member in the school context, through qualitative research aimed at understanding its subjective effects. The methodology employed a descriptive approach and an interpretive paradigm, utilizing semi-structured interviews with institutional actors from a private school in the city of Guayaquil. The results were organized into three categories. In the category of childhood acting out, actions, body language, and disruptive behaviors directed at adult authority figures were identified, associated with difficulties in expressing distress verbally. In the category of absence of the family member, changing rules, disagreements among caregivers, and an adult presence that appears and disappears were recorded; these variations influence how the child relates to authority and school rules. In the school context category, it was observed that the institution achieves better results when adults act consistently, listen to the child, and work alongside the family; conversely, if each adult responds differently, the scenario tends to repeat itself, and the act reappears as a recurring theme. In short, the study indicates that children's acting out functions as a form of expression that links the weakness of family support with the regulatory role of the school.