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Keys to Effective Rules Rules and codes help set standards for behavior and help people
make good decisions. Research on laws that effectively deter negative behavior has shown
that they can prevent problems when they are consistently enforced, when consequences for
violations are perceived as fair, and when the process is prompt.
Consequences are perceived as fair The perception of fair and reasonable consequences is the key
concept of effective detterence. There is a misperception that more severe penalties have
a greater deterrent effect. Research has not shown this to be true. Kicking a participant
off the team or group for tobacco, alcohol or other drug use does not prevent use, but
often prevents consistent enforcement of the rule. Involving parents, school activity
staff members, and students in the formation of rules and their consequences can help
ensure that all three groups will support them. When school activity staff members perceive that consequences
for a rule infraction are fair and reasonable, they are more likely to be consistent in
enforcement. When students perceive that their adult leaders will enforce a rule and that
there will be consequences for using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, the rule can have a
deterrent effect. For a rule to deter behavior, the consequences for violating it
must happen quickly. Adolescents, in particular, need immediacy. An
"investigation" which drags on for weeks is ineffective in either changing or
preventing behavior. Most schools have written policies and procedures for handling
student use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. However, most school-wide policies only
address on-campus use, possession and sale of substances. This section will discuss school
activity codes and policies, which may go beyond rules that apply to students who do not
participate in activities. In most cases, the courts have upheld the right
of school extracurricular activities to have expectations for participants that exceed
those of the general student body. Courts have based their rulings on the fact that
extracurricular activities. are a privilege, not a right, and that schools can therefore
have higher expectations for these students. These expectations can extend to the
"off-campus" activities of extracurricular participants. For example the courts
have ruled that an athletic program may bench an athlete for drinking alcohol at a weekend
party if the athletic rules and procedures have been dearly communicated prior to the
incident. (e.g., Bush vs. Dassel-Cokato Board of Education, MN; Clements v. Board of
Education, IL; King vs. Hempfield, SD) |