Zero tolerance policies are a load of bollocks . I personally feel that each participant in a fight should be treated on their own merit . This means that the aggressor the person who starts a fight , and only the aggressor , should be punished , while the victim has every right to defend himselfherself . The bully shouldn ' t be able to lie himselfherself out of getting in trouble for what heshe did . Worse is when the victim gets punished while the attacker gets condoned or even helped , just because the attacker has a connection with the administration . A historical illustration of this was during the IranIraq War , in which Iran was the one punished with sanctions and weapons embargoes , despite being attacked by Iraq without provocation . In fact , Iraq was supported and even rewarded by both the US and Soviet Union , as Saddam Hussein had close ties with both sides .