4. Zero-Tolerance Equals Safety
This is probably one of the most harmful and controversial myths in the arena. The researchers I spoke of earlier provided plenty of instances in which this policy wad used to devastating effect. There is absolutely zero proof that campus safety is related to zero tolerance. To top it off, evidence suggests that a student’s life, after being expelled, is likely to spiral further downward and result in personal failures. Mass incarceration is directly related to such strict student policing and in many cases teenage delinquents who end up in prison thanks to zero tolerance policies also land themselves in jail during adulthood.
Many schools are broadening their outlook however and concentrating on dealing with panic, gun safety and other issues rather than the strictness of school policies.