Despite well-publicized reports of decreased incidents of violence, the United States remains a leader in rates of homicide, handgun ownership, and school violence. Based on research conducted in high schools and a prison, At Zero Tolerance examines how the United States has responded to violence in its schools and in its streets. In addition to its critique of «get tough» policies initiated in the 1990s, this book offers a means of violence prevention that addresses issues of school restructuring, handgun policy, vocational education, and popular culture. At Zero Tolerance examines violence and violence prevention from the perspectives of policy, institutional reform, and the individuals most affected by the crisis, namely, youths caught in cycles of victimization and victimizing.