Successive governments in England and Wales have voiced concerns about increases in anti-social behaviour by children both in and out of school. In consequence the 1990s have seen a new 'moral panic' prompted by fears that the fabric of 'society' itself is under threat. This widespread perception is held in spite of the absence of research evidence indicating an increase in violent, aggressive or disruptive behaviour by pupils. One response has been for a call for a return to so-called 'Victorian Values' of order, propriety and respect. This paper examines the contradictions implicit in this reactive viewpoint by examining some of the data on misbehaviour in and out of schools from the late 19th and early 20th century. This shows that there has always been a tendency for some children to behave inappropriately in school, that 'Victorian Values' in education in England and Wales were characterised by considerably more within- and without- school disturbances by pupils than is currently the case, and that a punitive response to the 'problem' has (and continues to) exacerbated the situation. In drawing parallels with the present day, the paper confirms that there is an ominous lesson to be learned from historical precedents in respect of pupil behaviour\~