Zero Tolerance
Will Pearson 1
Social Problems
Zero Tolerance Shouldn’t Be Tolerated In September of 1997 a nine year old boy handed out Certs Mints in class. He was subsequently suspended from school for possession and distribution of “look-alike” drugs and was interviewed by a police officer (Skiba, Peterson 1999). This is just one of many injustices the current zero tolerance policy has handed out since it began to be used in 1989. The origins of this policy speak loudly as to what its intent was and still is. On paper, in a legislative policy session, this piece of legislation looks extremely effective, but as with many other policies, when put into practice it turns into something else all together. Since the atrocious violence that occurred in Columbine, Colorado, the media has reported more and more on school disruption and violence inside those sacred halls. Anyone you ask, in any country in the world would say that they want their children to be able to go to school every day and feel safe. However our approach to safety is not cost effective and inhibits this countries ability to compete and succeed in a global economy. Ask a parent what they think zero tolerance is and you get; “Its zero tolerance”. Most people really don’t grasp that the term refers to policies that punish all offenses severely, no matter how minor (Skiba, Peterson 1999). To completely understand just what zero tolerance is and what it was originally used for we must journey back to the 1980’s. This was a big decade for drug prevention policy during the Reagan administration. The first use of the term was used by the U.S. Navy in 1983. The Navy “suspected” drug use among 40 servicemen and had them reassigned. There was no 2 mention of an investigation, trial, or hard facts. This was suspected drug use, and the Navy removed these sailors from duty and assigned them to somewhere else on suspicion alone. After bouncing around the anti-drug scene
Social Problems
Zero Tolerance Shouldn’t Be Tolerated In September of 1997 a nine year old boy handed out Certs Mints in class. He was subsequently suspended from school for possession and distribution of “look-alike” drugs and was interviewed by a police officer (Skiba, Peterson 1999). This is just one of many injustices the current zero tolerance policy has handed out since it began to be used in 1989. The origins of this policy speak loudly as to what its intent was and still is. On paper, in a legislative policy session, this piece of legislation looks extremely effective, but as with many other policies, when put into practice it turns into something else all together. Since the atrocious violence that occurred in Columbine, Colorado, the media has reported more and more on school disruption and violence inside those sacred halls. Anyone you ask, in any country in the world would say that they want their children to be able to go to school every day and feel safe. However our approach to safety is not cost effective and inhibits this countries ability to compete and succeed in a global economy. Ask a parent what they think zero tolerance is and you get; “Its zero tolerance”. Most people really don’t grasp that the term refers to policies that punish all offenses severely, no matter how minor (Skiba, Peterson 1999). To completely understand just what zero tolerance is and what it was originally used for we must journey back to the 1980’s. This was a big decade for drug prevention policy during the Reagan administration. The first use of the term was used by the U.S. Navy in 1983. The Navy “suspected” drug use among 40 servicemen and had them reassigned. There was no 2 mention of an investigation, trial, or hard facts. This was suspected drug use, and the Navy removed these sailors from duty and assigned them to somewhere else on suspicion alone. After bouncing around the anti-drug scene
Cited: McCollum, Sean. 2004. “Zero Tolerance: Safer Schools or Unfair Rules.” Literacy Cavalcade Vol. 57 (Issue 1) doi: 00244511 Brownstein, Rhonda. 2010. “Pushed Out.” Education Digest Vol. 75 (Issue 7) doi: 0013127X Skiba, Russ. Peterson, Reece. 1999. “The Dark Side of Zero Tolerance.” Phi Delta Kappan Vol. 80 (Issue 5) doi: 00317217