First published in 1981. The inadequacy of traditional 'solutions' is nowhere more apparent than in the area of problem behaviour in secondary schools. Neither tough-minded punishment nor tender-minded treatment seems to be the answer. But the practical failure is also a theoretical one, since it misconstrues the determinants of behaviour. Taking a system perspective, Bill Gillham argues in his introductory chapter that 'our conception of the individual has been too narrow', so that both treatment and punishment approaches have missed out important elements in an adequate psychology of individuals: the roles they fill, the tasks they perform, the people they encounter - and the institutional settings where all these are experienced. Drawing together a wide range of theory, evidence and practice, the present book makes out a case for a school-centred, interactionist, approach to dealing with problem behaviour.

Prefatory Note; 1. Rethinking the Problem Bill Gillham 2. Systems Theory and its Relevance to Schools Robert Burden 3. The Effects of School: A Radical Faith Re-stated David Reynolds and Michael Sullivan 4. Differences Between Schools: The Implications for School Practice Janet Ouston 5. The Range of Solutions: A Critical Analysis Arno Rabinowitz 6. Treatment Under Attack Norman Tutt 7. Withdrawal Units and the Psychology of Problem Behaviour Robert Daines 8. One School's Experience John Hastings 9. Confrontation Situations and Teacher-support Systems Robert Pik 10. Analysing a School System: A Practical Exercise Joan Figg and Andrew Ross 11. Institutional Change or Individual Change? An Overview David Galloway; References; Notes on Contributors; Index