Should schools have a zero-tolerance policy for fighting?

When I was in middle and high school, kids fought all the time and were punished with either detention or suspension (if at all.) My daughters mother, however, went to Cass Technical High School here in Detroit, which had a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of fighting. Any physical altercation, no matter how small, resulted in immediately expulsion, and was put on their record -- which sullied the students prospects in finding another more elite school to attend. I, seriously, want my daughter to attend this school next year.

But anyway, how do you feel about this? Should all schools have a zero-tolerance for fighting; where just a shove can send you packing, or do you think this would leave too many kids ousted?

I'm against a zero-tolerance policy in almost anything, so yeah. I feel like more should be done as punishment, but immediate expulsion is WAY to much.

I like the idea. Because of the zero tolerance policy, the kids are probably mindful of what boundaries not to cross and keeps them in line. If more schools enacted this, we wouldn't have such shitty school envirnoments.

I like the idea, but I think that a zero tolerance policy in that instance is a little extreme. Immediate expulsion? If you fight in school more than once or twice, okay. If someone assaults you or tries to assault you, you have the right to defend yourself. It's an automatic defense mechanism. If someone pushes me, I'm going to push them right back.

Kids already aren't allowed to fight because then they get arrested for assault and battery, but NONE of this has any effect one the ones who start beating up other kids, only the ones who fight back are punished. For that reason I'm against it.

Chris wrote:When I was in middle and high school, kids fought all the time and were punished with either detention or suspension (if at all.) My daughters mother, however, went to Cass Technical High School here in Detroit, which had a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of fighting. Any physical altercation, no matter how small, resulted in immediately expulsion, and was put on their record -- which sullied the students prospects in finding another more elite school to attend. I, seriously, want my daughter to attend this school next year.

But anyway, how do you feel about this? Should all schools have a zero-tolerance for fighting; where just a shove can send you packing, or do you think this would leave too many kids ousted?

Would leave too many kids ousted. In this case, I'm more for a "3-strike policy". Get into 3 fights and then you're gone....but too many misunderstandings and general issues amongst kids growing up occur for this to have kind of a decent outcome. An A+/honor roll student @ Cass gets into one fight, gets kicked out and suddenly he has to go to bad ass Cooley or Mackenzie....and as a result the better colleges look him over because those schools are shit holes with low test scores that inadvertently renders his GPA less than.

Nah, not fair....

I think a warning for the first time is sufficient. If the same kids get into another fight then I am for suspension just to teach them a lesson. There is not enough discipline as it is these days so I am for it the second time around.

What happens when the kids are off school property? If they wanted to fight, they'll come up with a way. I don't agree that so much as a shove should get a kid kicked out, but I don't mind the idea of harsher policies regarding it.

I think that a suspension for first timers may be ok, but not immediate expulsion. That seems harsh.

There are exceptions but I think zero tolerance policies too often remove the possibility for the person in authority to exercise any "common sense". Like mandatory sentencing. Too often a judge's hands are tide to not impose anything but an inappropriately harsh sentence.

I'm gonna go against the grain here and say that I think that schools SHOULD have a zero-tolerance stance on fighting. If you're at work and come to blows with you co-worker, you'll most likely be fired. If you're at a store and come to blows with another customer, the police are gonna be called and chances are you're going for a ride to the station. I don't see why schools should tolerate that sort of nonsense. So absolutely yes, I support the idea of one fight being enough to get you kicked out. Just let it be known repeatedly what the policy on that is, so that there is no confusion that violence of any kind won't be tolerated.