Violent crime is on the rise in our public schools and you should watch out or at least that is what supporters of Zero Tolerance policies would have you believe. Beginning in the 1980s under the Reagan Administration, the term "Zero Tolerance" first emerged. At first, the term was used to refer to the war on the drugs. However, with the passage of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act in 1986, the war on drugs arrived at our schools. These Zero Tolerance policies were then pushed even further under the Clinton Administration with the passage of the Safe and Gun-Free Schools Act in 1994 which called for a mandatory one-year suspension for anyone caught with a firearm. These policies are created without any sort of nuance, there is no room …show more content…
As Dr. Richard J. Caster, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers notes "The hallmark of this authority lies in the ability of schools to search lockers if school officials or safety personnel have a "reasonable suspicion" the locker contains drugs, weapons or other contraband"(Billitteri). Castor believes that in order for schools to remain safe, students must give up some personal freedoms. And indeed, since being enacted, violent crimes in schools have decreased. Since 1993, violent crimes such as assault have decreased by 75%. As Anne Farris Rosen, Adjunct professor writes "Supporters of zero-tolerance policies cite other studies showing that strict, universal discipline helps maintain order and a safe learning environment"(Anne. F. Rosen). A survey done by "Educators week" shows that four in ten educators believe that suspension and expulsions are effective methods in maintaining a safe learning environment. They state that getting rid of problem children allows the rest of the students to learn without disruptions. And it makes sense, if students disrupt to often they should be removed from the