Implementing Zero-Tolerance In Public Schools

A parent who sends his or her child off to school for the day hopes that, as a student, his or her child will get to learn and grow in a safe environment and will get to return home at the end of the day. Schools, particularly public high schools in the US, attempt to ensure this by implementing “zero-tolerance” policies. Zero-tolerance describes a set of rules and disciplinary codes for students in order to keep as many students from harm as possible. Commonly, a zero-tolerance policy disallows, on threat of suspension or expulsion, bringing anything that could be classified as a weapon onto school grounds, accidentally or on purpose, or any form of physical violence, even in self-defense (Gjelten 1). This strategy sounds simple enough in
A study from Morris and Wells in 2000 conducted on schools in Baltimore, Maryland showed that after the Baltimore school board implemented a zero-tolerance policy, school-related crime “decreased by about thirty-one percent” (Holloway 1). This is just one of many studies over the past twenty years that show less school-related criminal activity after the implementation of zero-tolerance in schools. Again, the basic idea is that the fear of severe consequences will deter possible offenders, especially after they see their fellow classmates being suspended, expelled, or even arrested for deviant behaviors on campus. As they have with weapons, zero-tolerance policies have expanded from more serious misbehaviors such as fighting to more minor ones such as insubordination towards staff (Mental Health America 2). It is becoming more apparent that zero-tolerance policies are not just aimed to crack down on criminal misbehavior, but also create a demand for respect from students towards their superiors, peers, and the school itself. Should this respect be broken in any way, perpetrators face harsh punishment and the risk of severely limited opportunities in their
One program many schools are taking into consideration is the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model. PBIS encourages a positive environment in school and promotes peaceful mediation and opportunities to learn from one’s mistakes rather than being treated like a criminal for small ordeals (Ward 2). In fact, schools tested with this model experience a much lower rate of disciplinary actions than other schools (Kang-Brown et al. 7). Another beneficial alternative to zero-tolerance is Response to Intervention, which is a model that assists troubled kids who are not necessarily special-needs, but do need additional support in a classroom environment, accomplish similar goals as PBIS (Kang-Brown et al. 7). Whatever the case, there are several much more effective and beneficial programs for schools across the country to put in place of the unnecessary and unstable school discipline policy that is