The Bullying “Zero-Tolerance” Policy Not Accomplishing What It Should

By Victoria Robertson on May 15, 2016

Bullying, a problem that only seems to be getting worse as the years go on, is unfortunately still around today, and it’s worse than ever before.

And though school boards are continually seeking new ways through which to end this problem, it might actually be doing just the opposite.

One such policy is known to most as the “zero-tolerance” policy, which does exactly as it says: if a student is caught bullying, the repercussions can result in detentions, expulsions, or worse, depending on the offense.

However, these zero-tolerance policies that have made it their goal to stop bullying altogether actually might be doing more harm than good, according to a panel of experts.

According to them, schools should cease all zero-tolerance policies.

huffingtonpost.com

In a statement to NBC News, they said, “Zero tolerance policies have not had an impact in keeping schools safer and could have adverse consequences.”

The report states, “There is emerging research that some widely used approaches such as zero tolerance policies are not effective at reducing bullying and thus should be discontinued, with the resources redirected to evidence-based policies and programs.”

So why is this the case?

Research actually reveals that the zero-tolerance policies do almost nothing to help the victims of bullying, but it also does nothing to help the perpetrators — there’s no positive message being sent.

Plus, there’s even evidence that people might not report bullying due to a fear of harsh, unfair punishment of the perpetrator, especially if this person happens to be a friend.

And on top of all of this, there’s a huge race problem involved as well, as research shows that the harshest discipline is actually applied to non-white individuals (i.e. blacks, Hispanics and students of color).

According to the report, “The programs that appear most effective are those that promote a positive school environment and combine social and emotional skill-building for all students, with targeted interventions for those at greatest risk for being involved in bullying.”

So while the thought is in the right place, the policy itself has some major red flags. So the panel urges schools to stop these policies and instead implores the federal government to get involved and to organize better ways to prevent bullying.

Why the government?

According to the panel, bullying is of national concern and should be treated as such.

And another huge problem is that there isn’t even enough research to determine how common bullying is.

http://www.ivillage.ca

But according to the report:

“The prevalence data that are available indicate that school-based bullying likely affects between 18 and 31 percent of children and youth, and the prevalence of cyber victimization ranges from 7 percent to 15 percent of youth. These estimates are even higher for some subgroups of youth who are particularly vulnerable to being bullied (e.g., youth who are lesbian, gay bisexual, or transgender [LGBT], youth with disabilities).”

So what this says is abundantly clear: the problem is very serious and very real and something needs to be done to stop it.

A report by Frederick Rivara, a professor at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, says, “Bullying is not a normal part of childhood and is now appropriately considered to be a serious public health problem.”

Though it’s not the sole explanation for youth suicides, it’s unclear exactly how much influence it has in such terrible events as mass shootings.

According to the report, “It is a factor, and perhaps an important one, but it does not appear to be the main influencing factor in a decision to carry out these violent acts.”

Still, the evidence that bullying is harming perpetrators and victims on a psychological level is overwhelming and definitely hard to ignore.

So while zero-tolerance policies are utilized nationwide and every single U.S. state has at least one bullying law, the problem is still at large and it might be because of the variation of these laws and the fact that they aren’t necessarily pinpointing the root of the problem as shown by the research.

The panel says, “The U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Agriculture, and Defense and the Federal Trade Commission, which are engaged in the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention interagency group, should foster use of a consistent definition of bullying.”

This would require the groups to meet on an annual basis to analyze the research and then utilize the information to bring law propositions to Congress and state legislatures.

So the moral of the story is that while it might make sense to implement such zero-tolerance policies to prevent bullying, the problem has grown much too large to be looked at so simply.

It’s time to pay more attention to the problem at hand rather than using a blanket solution, as this is no longer working the way that schools would like it to be.

It’s time to take action.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format