Punishing Latina/o Youth: School Justice, Fairness, Order, Dropping Out, and Gender Disparities

• In Event: Latin@ Criminology Panel 3: Current Patterns of Crime and Victimization among Latin@s

Abstract

Although Latina/o youth are one of the fastest growing segments of the United States population, Latina/o youth face a number of educational hurdles, such as disproportionate school punishment and increased risk of dropping out of high school. This topic is particularly relevant today in the midst of the current social, political, and economic debate over the “school-to-prison pipeline.” This study draws from the Educational Longitudinal Study and utilizes multilevel modeling to analyze the relationships between school justice, fairness, order, dropping out, and gender disparities for 1,800 Latina/o and 6,300 White public school students. Findings suggest that school punishment is contributing to Latina/o youth to drop out; however, it is also evident that improving school justice and fairness can ameliorate the risk of dropping out for Latina/o youth. The significance and implications of justice, fairness, and order, for Latina/o youth within the United States school system are discussed more generally.

Authors

• Anthony Peguero, Virginia Tech

• Jennifer M. Bondy, Virginia Tech

• Zahra Shekarkhar, Fayetteville State University