Zero Tolerance

Zero tolerance policies originated with weapons and now have expanded onto fistfights, practical jokes, harassment, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. " These policies have now gone well beyond drugs and weapons, with many schools having adopted a comprehensive set of standards that apply even to dress and speech as well as personal conduct"(Thomas 74). Verbal harassment happens everyday, and it can be mistaken as common horseplay but it can also be considered a form of violence and (de) pending on the school, a penalty can follow.

Sexual harassment can follow along the same lines as verbal, but the main difference is the physical touching or groping. Substances such as alcohol and drugs can be common occurrence in schools as well, but often harder to notice. These are all major distractions for the students that are trying to receive an education. Zero tolerance policy attempts eliminate these distractions by temporarily or permanently removing the other students that are causing or possessing one or many of these distractions. '"Could it be argued, however, that despite the negative consequences for those students who cause trouble in schools, zero tolerance policies ultimately rid schools of those troublesome elements, and thus lead to greater safety for the rest of the law-abiding students"'(Thomas 550)? This is the original focus of the zero tolerance policy. The policy does serve the purpose of ridding the school of the troubling elements.

According to Thomas, who is the assistant principal at Houston High school in Germantown, Tennessee, " I've found if we call on the little bitty things, it prevents major things"(Thomas 15). By incorporating the zero tolerance policy students should be more comfortable attending their school. ' At Curie high school the other day, some students said they were grateful for the strict approach. " I feel safer at school than I do at home, said Chameka Cole, a 16-year-old Junior'"(Thomas 14). It's a common understanding that if people are comfortable in their environment they can be more productive, as opposed to a high stress surrounding that can limit production.

A component of zero tolerance often includes school security measures and code of conduct handbooks. These school security measures most commonly use single entrance walkways, metal-detectors, school police officers, and yearly upgraded student handbooks which has the purpose of removing behavioural disruptions that are potentially a real danger to the school. Student handbooks make decisions for administrators easier by removing a type of gray area by setting a set example or a guideline from them to work of off. ' A Michigan principal responds, " I think it cleans up that area of how you deal with certain issues and it makes it black and white. When something happens, you know what the consequences will be for that particular action. So it takes that gray area out of it and makes things a lot easier. I welcome the zero tolerance policy. And I think it sort of builds in a safety defence for us because you know we are very ...