In this keynote at the Association for Healthcare Foodservice in San Antonio, Texas, Mike Veny shares his deeply personal journey through childhood struggles with bad behavior. As a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist® and winner of Corporate LiveWire's Innovation and Excellence Award in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Mike brings a unique perspective shaped by lived experience, resilience, and expertise. He was expelled from three schools, hospitalized in a mental hospital three times, attempted suicide, and struggled with self-harm. His story provides a powerful insight into what’s really happening behind bad behavior in children.
Bad behavior in children is often misunderstood. It’s not always about “acting out” for attention or simple disobedience. As Mike explains, it can stem from deep emotional pain, mental health issues, trauma, and unmet needs. His candid discussion highlights the urgent need for adults—especially educators, healthcare professionals, and parents—to look beyond surface behaviors and recognize the hidden battles children may be fighting.
Understanding bad behavior children experience is crucial if we want to support mental health in children and adolescents. Too often, challenging behavior in young children and aggressive behavior children show is punished rather than understood. This misinterpretation can escalate children behavior problems and, tragically, contribute to the rise in children suicide rates.
Mike Veny's childhood experience mirrors many children and teens struggling with mental health today. By shedding light on the hidden causes of children mental health issues, Mike empowers his audience to become more compassionate, patient, and proactive. If we can change how we view and respond to children behavior, we can save lives and help children heal.
This video is for anyone who works with children and teens struggling with mental health, who wants to understand mental health disorders in children, and who is ready to support mental health problems in children with empathy and action. Whether you’re concerned about children suicide stories you’ve heard or you're seeking solutions for managing mental health issues in children, Mike’s story offers both inspiration and practical wisdom.
If you're passionate about creating a future where children and mental health are taken seriously, and where challenge behavior in young children is met with support instead of shame, this is a must-watch.
Thank you for watching and for caring about children's mental health.
Stay in touch with Mike Veny!
Website: https://www.mikeveny.com
Courses: https://learn.mikeveny.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mikeveny
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mikeveny
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeveny
