A Generation Later: What We’ve Learned about Zero Tolerance in Schools

A new policy brief from The Center on Youth Justice at the Vera Institute of Justice, A Generation Later: What We’ve Learned about Zero Tolerance in Schools, reveals that zero tolerance discipline policies do not make schools more orderly or safe.
In addition Vera outlines a brief history of juvenile crime, which helps explain the policy climate:

Although the juvenile crime rate peaked in 1994 and declined steadily over the next decade, the idea that young people should be feared stuck. In 1996, political scientist John DiIulio predicted a coming wave of young “super-predators.” Following the massacre in 1999 at Columbine High School, people across the country worried that the next devastating school shooting would occur in their town. This is the climate in which zero tolerance policies proliferated and also expanded to encompass a wide range of misconduct much less harmful than bringing a weapon to school.

Learn about the negative effects of pushing students out of school and read about alternatives to zero tolerance in the full report.

Lori Howell regularly contributes articles about juvenile justice reform and adolescent substance abuse treatment to ReclaimingFutures.org. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in French from Seattle University and is earning her master's in strategic communications from the University of Oregon. Lori works as a senior account director at Prichard Communications.