In a recent publication, Multiple Responses/Promising Results: Evidence-Based Non-Punitive Alternatives to Zero Tolerance, Child Trends examines the pitfall of zero-tolerance policies and practices in the school setting and highlights alternatives that promote positive outcomes for children and youth. This brief reveals that zero-tolerance policies providing for explicit, predetermined punishments to specific violations of school rules without regard to any situational factors, is highly correlated with a host of negative outcomes for children, including higher drop out rates and lower academic achievement and standardized test scores. Promising alternatives include prevention based programs that target at-risk students, cognitive-behavioral training programs, and those that focus on social-emotional learning. A common goal of these programs is positive youth development rather than punishment or merely preventing or minimizing negative behaviors.

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