Issues pertaining to bullying and safety in Texas schools are ongoing. A survey from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance showed that 19.1 percent of students in Texas had been bullied on school property, and 13.8 percent of students had been electronically bullied. Texas schools are given the liberty of deciding their own rules and regulations. A zero-tolerance policy is strictly enforced throughout Texas schools. The policy states, “Under zero tolerance policies, harsh punishment applies regardless of the circumstance” (Gjelten). Flaws in the zero-tolerance policy cause serious issues like bullying and violence to continue. Texas schools need to replace the zero-tolerance policy with a more beneficial alternative such as restorative justice
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Texas law gives people the right to protect themselves from harm without being penalized. The Texas penal code reads, “A person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force. The actor's belief that the force was immediately necessary as described by this subsection is presumed to be reasonable if the actor.” Despite what the law reads, the zero-tolerance policy doesn’t allow students to act in self-defense from an attacker without punishment. This is an injustice for students because everyone has the given right of self-defense by law. Chief juvenile judge, Steve Teske said “As a judge, I take offense to administrative policies like zero tolerance that obliterate long established laws that give persons, including kids, the right to stand their ground and resist an assault.” It’s human nature to react in self-defense against an attacker. Victims should not be disciplined for protecting themselves from harm. A student at Hebron High School in North Texas was showering when suddenly ambushed by bullies. The victim was urinated and spit on while others held him down. The victim hit and kicked the bullies to escape from the attack. Even though the victim acted out of self-defense, everyone involved was suspended for fighting. The parents of the victim fought …show more content…
Judge Steve Teske wrote an article about his views on the zero-tolerance policy in schools. When Teske experiences zero tolerance cases, he witnesses schools not taking an initiative to stop bullying. “A zero-tolerance attitude among school administrators runs the risk of punishing the victim as well as the bully. It runs the risk of becoming blind to the evils of bullying” said Teske. Schools aren’t assessing the issue and providing help for victims because the policy automatically puts everyone at fault. Many victims of bullying don’t bother reaching out for help or defending themselves because they are afraid of getting in trouble. This leaves victims to endure the torment. Victims of bullying are more likely to skip school to avoid harassment causing them to fail in their academic career. Long term psychological effects are linked to bullying as well. Students that are bullied are likely to suffer from depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. In more serious cases, students feel as if they will never escape from being bullied so they resort to suicide. According to the Suicide Awareness Voices for Education, “Suicide is, among 15 to 24 years old, one of the leading causes of death for youth. Over 16 percent of students seriously consider suicide, 13 per cent create a plan, and 8 per cent have made a serious attempt.” Teens have their whole life ahead of them with the potential to accomplish anything.
Texas law gives people the right to protect themselves from harm without being penalized. The Texas penal code reads, “A person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force. The actor's belief that the force was immediately necessary as described by this subsection is presumed to be reasonable if the actor.” Despite what the law reads, the zero-tolerance policy doesn’t allow students to act in self-defense from an attacker without punishment. This is an injustice for students because everyone has the given right of self-defense by law. Chief juvenile judge, Steve Teske said “As a judge, I take offense to administrative policies like zero tolerance that obliterate long established laws that give persons, including kids, the right to stand their ground and resist an assault.” It’s human nature to react in self-defense against an attacker. Victims should not be disciplined for protecting themselves from harm. A student at Hebron High School in North Texas was showering when suddenly ambushed by bullies. The victim was urinated and spit on while others held him down. The victim hit and kicked the bullies to escape from the attack. Even though the victim acted out of self-defense, everyone involved was suspended for fighting. The parents of the victim fought …show more content…
Judge Steve Teske wrote an article about his views on the zero-tolerance policy in schools. When Teske experiences zero tolerance cases, he witnesses schools not taking an initiative to stop bullying. “A zero-tolerance attitude among school administrators runs the risk of punishing the victim as well as the bully. It runs the risk of becoming blind to the evils of bullying” said Teske. Schools aren’t assessing the issue and providing help for victims because the policy automatically puts everyone at fault. Many victims of bullying don’t bother reaching out for help or defending themselves because they are afraid of getting in trouble. This leaves victims to endure the torment. Victims of bullying are more likely to skip school to avoid harassment causing them to fail in their academic career. Long term psychological effects are linked to bullying as well. Students that are bullied are likely to suffer from depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. In more serious cases, students feel as if they will never escape from being bullied so they resort to suicide. According to the Suicide Awareness Voices for Education, “Suicide is, among 15 to 24 years old, one of the leading causes of death for youth. Over 16 percent of students seriously consider suicide, 13 per cent create a plan, and 8 per cent have made a serious attempt.” Teens have their whole life ahead of them with the potential to accomplish anything.