What is zero tolerance?
The zero tolerance policy is exactly what it sounds like: zero tolerance for any violation of a law or rule. Zero tolerance discipline policies are an automatic response to a certain offense, no matter how minor or how severe. The zero tolerance policy is a product of the false impression that our public schools have become more dangerous in the last few years. When was zero tolerance first used? Zero tolerance was first implemented by the federal government in 1988, when Attorney General Edwin Meese gave US Customs agents the authority to impound a boat or vehicle that they suspected of having illicit drugs on board. The policy was expanded beyond the US Customs agency and began to be applied to a range of offenses, including drug and alcohol use at school. During that time the ACLU filed lawsuits that claimed the policy violated civil rights concerning due process and search and seizure (Skiba v. Peterson, 1999). When was zero tolerance first used in schools? Zero tolerance became mo
• Zero tolerance is actually a one-size-fits-all mandatory punishment that forecloses adults’ use of discretion, appropriate to the age, history and circumstances of the child as well as to the nature of the offense. • Zero tolerance is a more harmful version of mandatory sentencing, first, in that it takes no account of child and adolescent development, and second, because at least in the criminal justice system when mandatory sentences exist, there are different mandatory sentences for offenses of different seriousness. • Zero tolerance in schools has an especially serious impact on youths’ educational possibilities. In a state like Georgia, where children who are expelled from school are expelled for life, or like Massachusetts where expelled students permanently lose their right to a public education, the ramifications of these policies are particularly severe. Information from: http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/zerotolreport.html • Nationally, the Department of Education’s Off
Persons under the age of 21 may not legally purchase, possess or consume alcoholic beverages. Zero tolerance refers to statutes which make it illegal for persons under the age of 21 to operate a motor vehicle with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system. Under South Carolina’s zero tolerance law, it is unlawful for any person under the age of 21 to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.02 percent or higher.
Zero tolerance means that certain actions will absolutely not be tolerated under any circumstances. It is generally used in reference to policies that spell out exactly which actions are forbidden. For example, many schools have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. Any words, threats, or actions that are construed as bullying will be punished severely. A bully may even be suspended or expelled depending upon the intensity or the frequency of the behavior. Many schools also practice zero tolerance when it comes to weapons. No student may bring a weapon of any sort onto school property. This is for everyone’s protection. Harsh penalties are instituted to deal with violating weapons policies. Zero tolerance policies are also sometimes included in places of business. A zero tolerance policy against theft, for instance, means that anyone caught removing anything from the premises, down to a tiny paperclip, may be written up, suspended, or terminated. For many companies, theft
“Zero Tolerance” initially was defined as consistently enforced suspension and expulsion policies in response to weapons, drugs and violent acts in the school setting. Over time, however, zero tolerance has come to refer to school or district-wide policies that mandate predetermined, typically harsh consequences or punishments (such as suspension and expulsion) for a wide degree of rule violation. Most frequently, zero tolerance policies address drug, weapons, violence, smoking and school disruption in efforts to protect all students’ safety and maintain a school environment that is conducive to learning. Some teachers and administrators favor zero tolerance policies because they remove difficult students from school; administrators perceive zero tolerance policies as fast-acting interventions that send a clear, consistent message that certain behaviors are not acceptable in the school. However, research indicates that, as implemented, zero tolerance policies are ineffective in the lon
