[DanBC]

> Am I just seeing outliers here? Am I seeing frightening trend where children are needlessly criminalised (Kiera)

Zero tolerance means that often police are involved much earlier than they need to be, and for minor things. This is a political area, and so care needs to be taken when reading the following stories.

Here's a young child who took Lego toys to school, and who was threatened with suspension. Luckily the principal called the education board who recommended confiscation of the toy and no further action (http://gothamist.com/2010/02/03/student_nearly_suspended_ove...)

Here's another story about a 5 year old child who made a gun out of Lego. This child got a written warning. (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/02/5-year-old-boy...)

We don't always know the full story. For example, there might be more to the story of a child suspended for 10 days (reduced to 2) and given psychological assessment after she wanted to play with bubbles. (http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/kindergartner-suspended...)

Here's a 7 year old suspended for pretending his pencil was a gun (https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/va-7-year-old-susp...)

A boy wore a t-shirt with NRA slogans. He was suspended and arrested. (http://www.rightwingnews.com/education/after-student-is-susp...)

Here's a deaf child who must change his name, because the sign language for his name "looks like a gun" (or maybe a gang sign?) (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nebraska-school-3-y...)

Here's a teacher given a 4 day suspension without pay for endangering students by "displaying weapons". The weapons were garden tools. (http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/teacher-sues-school-...)

Here's an example of children being arrested for minor scuffles. (http://www.change.org/petitions/children-should-not-be-arres...)

LA is reviewing zero tolerance policies (http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/03/local/la-me-citation...)

(http://www.lewrockwell.com/whitehead/whitehead26.1.html)

[AnIrishDuck]

Don't forget the seven-year-old kid that was handed a two-day suspension for "fashioning a pastry in the shape of a gun"

http://www.loweringthebar.net/2013/03/update-ii-school-offer...

[DanBC]

My two & a half year old child plays with cars. Sometimes he drives them along and crashes them into walls, with impressive "crash!!" noises.

I have no idea where he gets this from.

We know he is playing, and that he has no concept of what a real car crash is like, or that car crashes involve pain and suffering. We would never ever discipline him for this, and we'd be horrified if anyone else thought it deserved disciplinary action. (Hitting another child with a car while yelling "CRASH!" is different!)

I wonder if this is just guns and knives?

I grew up in a world with Action Man when he had real guns and tanks; and comics like Commando or 2000AD.