Is the School-To-Prison Pipeline Just for Boys? The Effect of School Punishment Across Gender

Abstract

Boys are overrepresented in school punishment, dropout, and delinquency setting them on a path towards criminal offending. There is limited research on the effect of school punishment among females and if that effect varies across gender. Informed by a labeling perspective, this study examines the effect of exclusionary discipline on dropout, delinquency, and criminal offending among males and females. Special attention is paid to the role of school bonding as a potential gendered mechanism that protects female students from negative outcomes associated with school punishment. Results suggest both similarities and differences in the effect of exclusionary discipline across gender.