The issue of poor student behaviour within higher education institutions (HEIs) has been well documented in recent years. Although the number of reported cases constitutes a very small percentage of the overall student population in the UK, the impact of student misconduct on the rest of the student body and staff in HEIs can be substantial. For the student, their behaviour can impact on their studies as well as on their accommodation, particularly where breaches to a Halls of Residence licence are concerned. Students on professional courses could jeopardise their future careers where their conduct raises fitness to practise issues. Whilst serious incidents will be unpleasant and distressing for those involved, it is often the lower-level disruptive behaviour (e.g. talking in class, arriving late, being rude to students and staff, not being cooperative in lectures/seminars) that impacts on students and staff, particularly in relation to their respective learning experiences. If such low-level disruptive behaviour is not corrected then it can often escalate into more serious forms of misconduct which can impact on student retention and indeed the reputation of a HEI at both local and national levels. This article looks at the underlying causes of student misconduct and identifies a number of strategies to deal with it in order to prevent escalation to a more formal stage. There is very little research on this subject for the higher education sector in the UK, and studies in the USA tend to focus on academic incivility in the classroom. Therefore, the article draws on the authors' own experiences in dealing with student misconduct in addition to case studies in the higher education sector.