Local Education Authority Responses to Disruptive Behaviour: A Research Note

Abstract

Disruptive behaviour in schools is not new. School staffs have tended to deal with disruptive behaviour themselves. In the mid-1970s an increasing number of local education authorities have concerned themselves with this issue. The policies which have developed appear to be related to the local education authorities’ perception and definition of the problem of disruption. Where the definition is global and related to an identified number of behaviours, the outcome is different from a policy based on the idea of the disruptive pupil. Commonly, an authority will use both definitions. The off-site ‘special units’ appear to be in growing use by local education authorities. This runs counter to the establishment of schools with a truly comprehensive intake. There are also penological implications in the establishment of ‘special units’.