Student Councils

Kidscape recommends that schools use Student Councils (often called 'Bully Courts' by students) when faced with problems such as bullying, vandalism, litter, etc. The procedure is as follows:

1. Discuss acceptable behaviour with students and agree certain basic guidelines - the 'school rules'.
2. Sign an individual contract with each student based on the agreed, guidelines.
3. Post the guidelines on bulletin boards throughout the school and each classroom.
4. Call a school assembly and let the students explain the guidelines - involve all the staff, including playground supervisors, dinner ladies etc..
5. As part of the guidelines, set up a Student Council to rule on infractions.
6. This Council could comprise four students: two elected by the student body and two appointed (as an honour) by the staff.
7. One member of staff should attend the Council.
8. The term of office for those serving at the Council might vary but one school term is suggested.
9. Unless there was an emergency, the council would convene once a week at a set time.
10. The Council would be responsible for most infractions, unless they were serious enough to involve the police (i.e. assault), or there were family problems which made public discussion inappropriate.
11. Solutions and/or penalties would be binding on all parties, with the right of appeal.
12. The conclusions reached by the Council would be written down and filed, with copies of the report going to all concerned parties.
13. School Governors and parents would all receive information about the agreed guidelines and about the Council, and would be invited to a Council to see a mock session and to discuss the issues raised.
14. The effectiveness of the Council would be evaluated periodically by students, parents and staff.

Student Councils work best where there is an effective whole-school anti-bullying policy, otherwise the Council could simply become a way of bullying the bullies.

Further information on Student Councils is available in Kidscape's How to Stop Bullying Training Guide.

Subscribe to our mailing list

Use our FAQ to get some general advice about your situation, or try our helpline

View the Kidscape Gallery...

Need to record your bullying incidents? Then have a look at the Kidscape Safer Schools Database...

You wouldn't put up with this as an adult so why should they?

Kidscape Workshops 2007...

Download Dealing with Bullies...