Summary of Argument

Schools are among the safest places for our children to be. Yet, driven by the misperception that school violence is on the rise, school officials, legislators, law enforcement and the courts are increasingly taking on the issue of school safety in a heavy-handed manner. However, punitive measures, administered without judgment or balance, as evidenced in "zero tolerance" policies, criminalize minor transgressions and expose our children to a juvenile justice system ill-suited to deal with youthful indiscretions.

Summary of Argument

Schools are generally considered safe environments for children. However, a misperception that school violence is increasing has led to an escalation of punitive measures aimed at enhancing school safety. These measures, often implemented through "zero tolerance" policies, are characterized by a lack of nuance and a disproportionate response to minor infractions. This approach criminalizes minor transgressions and exposes children to the juvenile justice system, which is inadequately equipped to address youthful misbehavior.

Summary

Schools are generally considered safe environments for children. However, due to the perception of increasing school violence, there is a growing trend towards stricter school safety measures. These measures, often implemented through "zero tolerance" policies, can criminalize minor offenses and expose children to the juvenile justice system. This approach, which lacks nuance and judgment, fails to effectively address the underlying causes of school safety concerns and may inadvertently harm children.

Summary of Argument

Schools are generally safe places for children. But many people believe that school violence is increasing. This has led to officials, lawmakers, police and judges taking strong actions to make schools safer. These actions, including "zero tolerance" policies, punish minor offenses harshly. This means that children are being treated like criminals for small mistakes, and they are being sent to the juvenile justice system, which is not the best place to deal with young people's bad behavior.

Summary of Argument

Schools are usually safe places for kids. But some people think there's a lot of violence in schools, and they want to make schools even safer. They want to punish kids more, even for small mistakes. This can be a problem because it's like sending kids to jail for little things, and that's not really fair.