Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 October 2015
In 1988 the report entitled “Interagency Responses to School Children with Social and Behavioural Problems” was released in South Australia. The investigation, chaired by Ms. Penny Stratmann, was asked to review the current provision of services for children of school age in South Australia who exhibit social and behavioural problems, and to examine inter alia, the extent of the problem.
The report stated that the extent of the problem was difficult to assess in numerical terms because; (i) schools do not keep systematic records, (ii) identification of disruptive students is a matter of definition and attitude (some schools would identify student behaviour as disruptive which other schools may be able to prevent or contain), (iii) it is even harderto identify is the number of children whose response to problems is passive (they are often compliant, no trouble, not noticeable), and (iv) small numbers of disruptive students create a disproportionately large amount of havoc in schools and stress in teachers. (These outcomes are the most significant in their impact but the least measurable).