ABSTRACT
This chapter is about the effect behaviour management systems have on mental health. The key with behaviour management systems in schools is that they can become obsessional. The pupil must have that consequence regardless of the circumstances because they broke that rule. Staff becomes incensed if regulations are not followed but overlook if they do not follow regulations or ignore instructions from the leadership team. The three common elements in most mental health conditions are low self-esteem, social isolation and ruminative negative thinking. Strict, inflexible behaviour systems hit all these. In their book, Ryan and Deci discuss at length and evidence how excessive control, reward and punishment systems do not lead to positive behaviour change, often the reverse. They show how education staff who supported pupil autonomy and self-regulation, along with boosting pupil self-esteem, had higher levels of learning and fewer behavioural problems.
