Minor Behaviour Definitions
Behaviour / Definitions / Examples / Non-examplesPhysical Misconduct / Student engages in actions involving physical contact where unintentional injury may occur. / Playing tackle or ‘tiggy’ games
Running on cement and colliding with someone / Accidently knocking someone over when running on grass
Defiant/ Threats to adults / Student engages in initial refusal to follow directions, or talks back and /or uses non-directed swearing when given direction / Does not follow instruction when redirected
Back chatting
Rolling eyes when asked to do something
Saying, e.g., “You can’t make me,” “That’s not fair,” after being given a reasonable direction / Student distracted and not completing work
Failure to follow direction or complete task due to medical condition, e.g., auditory processing disorder
Disrespect / Behaviour which shows contempt for authority / Rolling eyes
Smirking
Make faces
Walking away when an adult addressing them
Eating in class
Entering class without permission
Saying, “I’m bored” / Culturally sensitive behaviours i.e. Indigenous students – making eye contact is rude when directed towards an elder. Discussing a person who has passed away. Asian students – inappropriate to touch students on the head or beckon to come using hand gestures
Disruption / Behaviour resulting in a significant but short interruption to learning / Inappropriate, non-related comments
Talking to friends
Touching other people or their property
Repeated noise – tapping pencils
Throwing objects without intent – i.e.wads of paper
Playing withobjects
Calling out
Leaving chair without permission
Tapping on the classroom window/door
Arriving at class unprepared – incorrect/no materials, unprepared to work / Dropping a pencil
Verbal misconduct / Low intensity instance of inappropriate language which is not directed at a person / Non-directed swearing in the classroom(e.g. “This is s#t”) and does not respond to re-direction
Repeated derogatory language, e.g., “You are stupid,” and does not respond to redirection / Gosh!
Jeepers!
Lying / Student delivers a message that is untrue and or deliberately violates rules / Copying work from others
Lying to an adult i.e.i.e.“The dog ate my homework” / Misinterpretation of a message
Missed detention/classroom consequence / Student has failed to attend/complete the detention/classroom consequence adequately / Student has failed to comply with teacher applied consequence
Does not adequately complete the applied consequence / Student has not attended due to an approved absence from school
Non-compliance/ Work refusal / Brief or low intensity failure to respond to a reasonable adult requests / Talkswhile adult is talking
Is slow to respond but eventually does what was asked
Saying, “This is stupid”; “I’m not doing it”, “You can’t make me” “I don’t care” / Students who have difficulty maintaining focus due to medical or educational needs (auditory processing difficulties)
Not completing work due to a skill deficit which would impair completion of work
Property misconduct / Taking someone else’s property
Causing minor damage to property / Drawing on someone’s book
Writing on a desk / Picking up someone’s pencil
Accidently writing on someone’s book
Property misuse / Low intensity misuse of property for a purpose for which it was not intended and does not cause physical harm to self or others / Breaking pencils
Ripping paper or work
Taking bags/kicking bags
Wastage of materials
Rough handling of equipment and furniture / Playing with pencils in a non-obtrusive way – consider age appropriateness
Tardy / Not in class at the appropriate time / Student returns late from breaks/class / Late due to circumstances out of their control
Teasing/taunting / Low level inappropriate comments and/or unwanted verbal or emotional advances / Encouraging/supporting wrong behaviour in other people
Name calling / Acceptable humour without malice
Truancy / Student arrives late to class. Student fails to return within and acceptable time with an approved leave pass / Deliberate failure to return to class after an acceptable amount of time – e.g. toilet pass / Absence due to health/medical reasons or reasons out of the individual’s control
Unsafe behaviours / Behaviours which have the potential to cause physical harm to self or others / Lifting grates
Riding skateboards/scooters in grounds
Running on the cement
Being in ‘out of bounds’ areas
Climbing on the outside of the stair railing
Pushing to get into line
Sitting on the port racks
Playing ball games out of the designated areas / Making unintentional contact with peers as part of a game – bumping into someone
Major Behaviour Definitions
Behaviour / Definitions / Examples / Non-examplesPhysical misconduct / Physical contact with intent or outcome of causing injury or harm to others / Intentionally hitting, punching, biting, hair pulling, tripping, pinching / Collisions during games
Gentle hair tugging
Abusive language/profanity / Swearing or curse words directed towards others in a demeaning or provoking way. Repeated intentional use of inappropriate language.
Disrespectful messages include negative comments related to religion, race, gender, ethnicity, appearance, disabilities or other personal matters / Swearing at an adult
Repeated swearing or demeaning words directed at other students / Saying “stupid” or “ugly” and it is not directed at others
Alcohol/drugs / Student is involved in a process of consuming (past, present); dealing or in possession of alcohol, drugs or paraphernalia / Any alcoholic products or illegal drugs, brought into the school grounds
Attending school seemingly under the influence of alcohol or a drug
Misuse of prescribed/non-prescribed medication / Prescribed medication accompanied by a doctor’s letter and with parent consent – this is to be kept at the office
Where a medical condition exists
Asthma puffer, cough lozenges
Assessment Misconduct / One or more students deliberately plagiarizes another’s intellectual property with/without permission – as per assessment policy / Submitting a similar /same assignment as another – refer to school assessment policy
Cheating on exams
Bullying/harassment / Student delivers disrespectful messages (verbal or gestures) to another person that includes: threats or intimidation, obscene gestures, texts, emails, pictures or written notes (Disrespectful messages include negative comments based on race, religion, gender, appearance, ethnicity, disabilities or other personal matters) / Repeatedly threatening another person
Repeatedly verbally attacking someone based on ethnic origin, religion, gender, etc.
Repeatedly tripping or pushing someone / Calling someone stupid as an isolated incident
Combustibles / Student is in possession of substances/objects capable of causing bodily harm or property damage / Matches, lighters
Firecrackers
Gasoline
Lighter fluids
Aerosol sprays ( including deodorants), spray paint / Finding a combustible item in the school grounds and surrendering it to the office
Defiance / Persistent refusal to follow directions combined with a rebellious attitude that challenges an adult / Repeatedly refusing to follow reasonable adult direction
Leaving classroom or school grounds without permission
Persistently yelling at an adult
Repeatedly back chatting or walking away from an adult who is talking to them / Rolling eyes when asked to do something
Disruption / Persistent behaviour causing an interruption to learning in a class or activity causing the teacher to stop teaching for a prolonged period of time / Yelling/persistent calling out
Turning over furniture
Sustained loud talking
Sustained out of seat behaviour
Student does not respond to “Essential Skills for Classroom Management” strategies. * / Calling out answers to questions due to enthusiasm/ excitement
Dress code / Students not wearing the school uniform as per the uniform policy – school based and faculty policy / Wearing a shirt with an inappropriate text or message
Wearing short skirts/shorts
Wearing non-sun safe clothing
Not wearing leather/vinyl impervious shoes in a neutral colour / Not wearing school uniform due to circumstances out of their control: i.e. not having a jumper on a cold day; being unclean, parents inability to provide the clothing
Fighting/physical aggression / Physical contact with intent or outcome of causing injury or harm to others / Hitting
Punching
Hitting using an object
Kicking
Actions using sharp/dangerous objects / Pushing and shoving
Horseplay that does not escalate
Possession of a prohibited item / Students possess on their person or in their bag an item which has been declared by the school as prohibited / Permanent marker pens
Liquid paper
Aerosol cans
Fire crackers
Water bombs
Property misconduct / Students participating in an activity that results in substantial destruction or disfigurement of property / Repeatedly eating or stealing other students’ food
Throwing someone’s hat in the toilet
Ripping clothes / Hiding someone’s property
Using someone’s ruler without permission
Theft / The acquisition of other’s property without permission and with intent to permanently deprive / Taking another’s wallet
Removing property from another’s school bag
Tobacco / Student is in possession/use of a tobacco substance / Student is observed smoking a tobacco substance
Student is in possession of a tobacco substance
Truancy / Unexplained absence/s with or without parent’s knowledge / Leaving school without permission
Repeated failure to attend scheduled classes
Repeated lateness, early departures
Repeated absence from school with/without parent permission
Attending a non-timetabled class without permission / Authorised cool down time
At an official school appointment e.g. Guidance Officer
Unsafe behaviour / Behaviours which endanger self or others / Climbing on structures to an unsafe height
Repeated running along crowded corridors or concrete areas
Using equipment unsafely e.g. inappropriate of gas ovens, power points, fans
Projectiles e.g. water bombs, egging, throwing objects
Spitting
Weapons / Student is in possession of knives, guns (real or look alike) or other objects presumed to be or capable of causing bodily harm / Bringing guns, knives, other potentially dangerous items to school
Using an item as a weapon to harm or threaten to harm / Bringing a cultural item (which could be considered a weapon) to school for a curriculum task. These need to be handed to a staff member on arrival and collected at the end of the day.