ABSTRACT
Originally used in relation to drug policy, zero tolerance has been defined as a “philosophy or policy that mandated the application of predetermined consequences, most often severe and punitive in nature, and applied regardless of the gravity of behavior, mitigating circumstances or situational context”. Policies and practices consistent with zero tolerance were identified in schools well before the formal emergence of the term in 1989. This chapter provides a brief overview of the proliferation of exclusionary discipline/zero-tolerance policies; their consequences; and the potential effectiveness of school-based preventative practices in minimizing these policies, practices, and the deleterious outcomes. The preschool to prison pipeline, and the zero-tolerance policies which support it, disrupt the bonds between students and teachers in a way that creates a permanent chasm and reinforces the cultural disconnect for students before they gain any positive or beneficial experiences around schooling.
