Zero Tolerance Policies


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“Zero tolerance is the most widely implemented and scrutinized school discipline policy in the United States. A zero tolerance policy assigns explicit, predetermined punishments to specific violations of school rules, regardless of the situation or context of the behavior. In many cases, punishment for a violation under the policy is severe, such as suspension or expulsion from school. In theory, zero tolerance deters students from violent or illegal behavior because the punishment for such a violation is harsh and certain.”1

Zero Tolerance Policies started as a way to wage the war on drugs. The Gun Free Schools Act of 1994, which mandates that any student found in possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon must be expelled for a year, is the way in which Zero Tolerance was first instituted in schools nationwide.