The Trouble With Zero Tolerance

* Re “Stories of Youth Crime Promote Fear,” April 10.

Surrounding the zero-tolerance hysteria filling our nation today is the idea that children are becoming more and more prone to violent acts. Highly publicized tragedies committed by troubled youths seem to confirm this belief, yet the report “Off Balance: Youth, Race and Crime in the News” disputes this perception.

Nondiscretionary school suspensions and expulsions of children for trivial acts are becoming increasingly common, and the true victims are our children. Most of these punishments take place at the middle and high school level where children should be developing trusting relationships with adults and affirmation of their sense of justice and fairness. Instead, children encounter knee-jerk reactions to remote yet highly publicized crimes.

Our school boards, administrators and teachers need to take a step back from this trend and agree to set policy based on accurate, individualized assessment of each incident. Harsh, rote enforcement of zero-tolerance policies is a recipe for destroying school communities.

YVONNE WILBER

Simi Valley