Pupils say behaviour policies at UK secondary schools feel unfair and confusing

A new paper led by members of the Bristol Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) has found that secondary school students view commonly used discipline and behaviour management systems (DBMS) as “confusing, unfair, harsh and inconsistent.”

The paper, published in the journal Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, was co-written by young people from YPAG as part of the Behaviour in Schools Study (BISS).

This study started with an idea from YPAG members, who wanted to look at the mental health impacts of DBMS. Our researchers trained YPAG members in peer research skills so they could interview 15 students as part of BISS.

The findings suggests that current strategies for managing disruptive behaviour may be doing more to alienate students than to promote positive behaviour. Some pupils reported a sense that “you can’t be yourself.”

The interviews revealed students’ attitudes to DBMS, including:

• Confusion and unfairness: Participants said the rules and their enforcement were unclear. What counted as “poor behaviour” often seemed subjective or inconsistent
• Harshness and inconsistency: Some felt that consequences were overly punitive or applied unevenly between students
• Negative emotional impact: Several voiced that the system made them feel unable to express themselves, as though they had to suppress parts of who they are to avoid punishment

Concern is rising over “poor behaviour in UK secondary schools,” a challenge widely acknowledged by educators and the Department for Education (DfE). This study argues that DBMS as currently implemented may exacerbate alienation or disengagement, rather than foster a healthy school culture.

Given that school discipline and behaviour policies significantly shape students’ daily experience, these findings raise urgent questions about whether existing approaches are doing more harm than good.

What’s next

The researchers call on schools and policymakers to rethink disciplinary frameworks. There’s a need to shift away from blanket punitive systems and towards approaches that recognise students’ individuality, encourage fairness, clarity and consistency, and support emotional wellbeing.