Traditional discipline practices in schools often includes such measures as out-of-school suspensions, in-school suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to alternative programs. While the intent of some of these punishments is to prevent and curb extreme behavior, practice shows that these measures are most often used for non violent behavior such as classroom disruptions, skipping class, disrespectful remarks, dress code violations and vaping etc. This is problematic in that manageable and non violent behaviors are dealt the most severe of punishments.

Research continues to suggest that removing youth from their learning environments is not an effective way to manage student behavior. In fact, a ten year research of disciplinary practices in US schools conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that zero- tolerance policies do not make schools safer. Rather, studies find that these punishments result in:

Academic Difficulties: Students who are suspended from class and school miss out on instructional time. As such, they fall behind on their academic course work which has lasting effects for them.

Truancy: Students who experience zero tolerance disciplinary consequences report feeling alienated and ostracized, and are more likely to skip school.

Disruptive Behavior in Class: Students who fall behind their peers academically (often as a result of suspensions) report they feel embarrassed in class, and often mask this through disruptive behaviors in class. This impacts other students as well as themselves.

Psychological Trauma and Negative Mental Health Consequences: Harsh and "unjust" disciplinary consequences feel traumatic for students and are often associated with a sense of private and public humiliation, as well as low self esteem, and mistrust toward educators and educational systems. These consequences have far reaching and long term fall-out that hurts academic as well as personal development. Impacted students are more likely to engage in risky behaviors which include, substance misuse, bullying, violence, and suicide.

Ability to Learn Effectively: Brain studies show that punitive responses activate a fight/freeze/flight brain response, shutting down children's ability to learn.

Dropping Out or Being Pushed Out of School: In sum, students exposed to harsh disciplinary practices report feeling that they are not valued as part of the school community as well as their own communities. As such, they often drop out of school.