Minority Threat in Schools and Differential Security Manifestations: Examining Unequal Control, Surveillance, and Protection

Abstract

Using a recent nationally representative sample of schools, this test of Minority Threat Theory, which predicts greater use of punitive social controls in places with more people of color, is the first to use an empirically and conceptually based security typology that distinguishes among strategies intended to (1) control, (2) surveil, and (3) protect students at school. This study not only accounts for the way particular security strategies are often bundled, but also for differential objectives that are seemingly dependent on the racial and ethnic context of schools—essential considerations for understanding how minority threat manifests in school security programs. Ultimately, our results demonstrate the need for policymakers to recognize how disparate implementation of school security strategies may exacerbate inequality for youth of color.