Who Faces Disruptions in School? Student and School Characteristics Related to Peer Disruptive Behaviors

• In Event: 207 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 24. Disruptions and Discipline

Abstract

Disruptive behavior in school has been a concern of educators, the public, the media, and policymakers for decades. Despite the concern over disruptions in school, however, there has been little rigorous analysis on the topic. Although there has been considerable research on violence in school, most disruptive behaviors are not violent. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS), the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS), and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), I attempt to address these issues by examining (1) the prevalence of disruptions in high school, (2) the relationship between victimization in school and disruptions in school, (3) student- and school-level factors related to disruptions, and (4) the ability of curriculum track placement and school disciplinary practices to mediate the relationship between student and school factors and disruptions. Findings suggest that disruptions in high school are remarkably common but are experienced to a greater extent by historically marginalized students in traditionally troubled schools. However, after student and school factors are held constant in HLM analyses, only student-level factors are related to disruptions in school. This indicates that disruptions in school are not due to features of troubled schools themselves, but are due to the background characteristics of the students such schools educate. Findings also suggest that continual high track placement and enforcement of discipline are related to decreased disruptions in high school.

Author

• David S. Morris, College of Charleston