Black Girls Doing Time for White Boys’ Crime? Considering Columbine’s Security Legacy Through an Intersectional Lens

Abstract

The 20th anniversary of the deadly shootings at Columbine High School provides an opportunity to take stock of policy changes it prompted. Two were the increased use of security personnel and exclusionary discipline. Although neither started in response to Columbine, both were greatly expanded in the wake of that event. Both also contributed to the current punitive school climate that has negatively affected students, particularly students of color. This article considers the experiences of Black girls. This focus is important given the general lack of attention given to Black girls despite their greater disparity in rates of discipline especially for minor, subjective infractions. This article seeks to provide a summary of the current literature to highlight trends in the use of security, the resulting disproportionate effect on Black girls, and the need to bring an intersectional perspective into current calls to reduce exclusionary discipline. The patterns summarized in this article highlight the need for criminologists, in particular, to include the experiences of Black girls in the post-Columbine security and policy discussions.