Labeling and the Differential Impact of School Discipline on Negative Life Outcomes: Assessing Ethno-Racial Variation in the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Abstract

The relationship between educational attainment and involvement in the criminal justice system is one of the most consistent findings in the criminological literature. Contributing to this relationship is the increased and disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline, particularly among ethno-racial minorities. Exclusionary discipline is correlated with negative life outcomes however; scholars have yet to examine the impact of school discipline on behavioral outcomes across race and ethnicity. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health, this study addresses this gap by modeling the pathways from school exclusion to future dropout, delinquency, and criminal offending for White, Black, and Hispanic youth. Results suggest significant differences in the effect of school exclusion on future outcomes across ethno-racial groups.