Eliminate Zero-Tolerance Rules in Schools and Institute Trauma-Informed Education

Copyright

2021

Published Date

04/16/2021

Published By

Well Being In the Nation Network

Sometimes schools have certain punishments rather than thinking about the situation and the student. This is called a zero-tolerance rule. Rather than understanding why the child behaved the way they did, they are simply punished. Often they are suspended from school for a few days or expelled, which means the student misses school. Research shows that zero-tolerance policies hurt students of color more than students who are white. They play a major role in the school-to-prison pipeline, where students go from school punishments to the criminal justice system. There are better ways to address student behavior, such as conflict resolution, restorative justice, and trauma-informed practices.