Adults who complain about zero tolerance remember the occasional minor playground scuffles of their youth. Two boys would tumble as the crowd backed away. An adult or two would intervene, each boy would get a stern lecture and then he'd be sent to the restroom to clean off the dust. Today's children have a steady diet of television shows where fighting is the highlight of the hour. Instead of slinking back, the audience cheers.
Scrappers are heroes.
They are entertainment. Some come to school to imitate what they've watched. If the school has zero tolerance, that means, Don't even think about it. Critics say that schools are being unfair to the kids they know. They might spend time getting to know the kids' teachers.