Harassment, or bullying, is one of the most difficult disciplinary issues for administrators to manage because of differing interpretations. One school's zero-tolerance plan involves filing a harassment complaint with the assistant principal, who meets with involved parties; notifying law- enforcement officials if appropriate; and informing…

Educators face the dilemma of zero tolerance versus zero rejection. The pressure to maintain safe classrooms while simultaneously educating all students is a challenging proposition. This article is used to share data that were collected as part of a larger study on teachers' beliefs about their own self-efficacy regarding general classroom…

Zero-tolerance policies should not be used solely to rid the school of troubled students needing special counseling and mentoring. Administrators should involve teachers, parents, community leaders, and student representatives in formulating such policies. School-safety considerations and student rights must be balanced. (MLH)

Zero-tolerance policies, security systems, peer mediation, and other "supervisory" violence-prevention measures ignore the classroom's potential for forming or modifying student behavior. When properly trained in cooperative-learning methodology, teachers can reinforce positive social behaviors and encourage tolerant attitudes on a daily…