When Zero Tolerance Policies were instituted in public schools, the use of suspensions as a disciplinary measure increased. These zero tolerance policies were designed by school districts to increase school safety and were unusually strict. In one instance, an elementary school child was expelled from school because she had a small plastic knife in her lunch box. In another, a 12-year old was handcuffed, arrested, and detained at a New York City Police Department for writing on her desk. The read more…
While many schools opt for the use of punitive justice, more and more schools are shifting toward a new method of addressing bad behavior: restorative justice. Instead of focusing on punishment, restorative justice seeks to facilitate communication between “problem” students and their peers. Students have opportunities to confront the consequences of their actions and find and fix the root of the problem. By teaching students how their actions can negatively affect others, schools can prevent future conflicts. In contrast, punishing read more…
Each state defines their zero tolerance policies. Sometimes, these policies may be enforced by police officers employed as school resource officers or SROs. SRO’s are paid for by the federal government. They supposedly enforce Federal Gun Free School Act that was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. It’s purpose was to mandate that states design their own zero tolerance policies to make schools safer. This law focussed on punishing students who brought weapons and drugs into schools. In certain states, SRO’s read more…
Selling more people more guns does not curb gun violence. In the U.S. over all, about 2500 children die from gunshot violence annually. U.S. children and teens are 17 times more likely to die from a gun shot than children in 25 other high-income countries combined according to the Children’s Defense Fund. In 2012 12,253 adults died from gunshot homicides. Many more adults committed suicide or suffered accidental deaths by gunshots, and also there were non-fatal gunshot crimes. How can we curb U. S. gun read more…
