Black and White Female Disproportional Discipline K–12

Abstract

The school-to-prison pipeline represents an educational environment that allows public schools to push many at-risk children out of school and into the juvenile justice or the adult criminal justice system. Consequently, this study explores the disproportionate rates of discipline when comparing Black and White female students in the national public-school system. Specifically, this research explored discipline outcomes for Black and White female students in kindergarten through 12th grade in five of the best academically performing states in the United States compared with five of the worse academically ranked states in the United States. Using the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) of 2013–2014 data, the exploration found Black female students were disproportionately suspended compared with White female students in both the high and low academically performing states. Similarly, Black female students experienced disproportionality rates (overrepresented) compared with White female students for school-related arrests. Overall, the disproportionality rates for Black female students suspended and arrested compared with White female students were higher in the academically higher ranked states.

Black Girls and School Discipline: The Role of Teacher’s Race, Pubertal Development, and Discipline Philosophy on Discipline Decisions

“…The school discipline literature has evolved significantly within the last decade. Whereas early work appeared to adopt a singular approach to examining inequities in school discipline, recent studies have recognized the importance of using an intersectional lens, considering the joint effects of race and gender to understanding the disparate impact of exclusionary discipline for all students, but particularly Black girls (Blake et al, 2011; Hassan & Carter, 2021). As the field continues to mature, scholars are moving from merely documenting the presence of racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline to identifying mechanisms underlying inequitable discipline practices with the intention of formulating culturally responsive interventions and policies to curtail disparate discipline.…”

Discrimination and Health: Fostering Better Health for Black American Youth

“…When compared to White children, Black children are viewed by adults as older and less innocent by age 10 (Goff et al, 2014). In school, Black students are more likely to be perceived as troublemakers and receive harsher and more frequent disciplinary actions (e.g., out of school suspension, school-related arrests) (Hassan & Carter, 2021). Within the community, approximately 21% of Black youth report having at least two interactions with the police compared to 9% of White youth, and Black youth experience negative interactions at an earlier age (Geller, 2021).…”

Anger Is All the Rage: A Theoretical Analysis of Anger Within Emotional Ecology to Foster Growth and Political Change

“…Racial disparity in discipline is also not a regional phenomenon. In a review of national data, Hassan and Carter (2020) found that Black female students were disproportionately suspended compared with White female students in both the high and low academically performing states. The social censure and formal negative consequences of anger are more significant for children than for adults, for women than for men, for minorities than for majority people, and for employees than for employers.…”