A literature review and critical analysis of school violence and teachers' perception of the zero tolerance policy

Abstract

As a precursor to a proposed study examining teacher perceptions of the zero tolerance policy, this paper will review and critically analyze research and literature pertaining to school violence and zero tolerance policies. The goal of the proposed research is to identify the benefits, drawbacks, and perceived effectiveness of the zero tolerance policy as a preventative tool against school violence. The research hypothesis for the proposed study is that the majority of public school teachers will believe the zero tolerance policy is ineffective, has a negative impact on students, and does not prevent school violence; that is it does not fulfill its intended purpose.