ABSTRACT
Introduction Students’ behaviour in schools does not occur in a vacuum (Watkins and Wagner, 1995). Students are members of classrooms which function as aspects of the school system within particular neighbourhoods. Students also fulfil roles within their own families and communities. The demands of society at large impact on communities in different ways. In the UK, for example, ‘formalised education, commencing at the age of five years, imposes a whole range of requirements including the need for compliance, focused concentration and the willingness to listen and reflect’ (BPS, 1996, p. 13). These requirements do not sit easily with many students.
