I am facing a situation where there is a 9 year old boy who can't keep his hands to himself. I have constantly seen him doing things like walking up behind kids and taking a wisp of hair and yanking it... flicking/kicking them from behind... coming up from behind and smacking them on one shoulder and then quickly shifting over far to the other side (you know, the old 'who's there' stunt) etc.... etc.... etc.... You never see him without his hands on somebody. Any ideas?
There should never be a reason to put your hands on someone else, and the students should be made aware of this. So i do agree with what you are saying, making the rules clear is the first step, making the consequences clear is the second.
Good solution.