Exploring how School Discipline and Special Education Policies Condition the Relationship Between Child Behavior, Early Suspension, and/or ADHD Diagnoses and Early Adolescent Behavior and Academic Performance

• In Event: School Safety, Security and Discipline: Core Issues in Advancing Criminological Research Across Time

Abstract

A large body of research suggests that school punishment disrupts academic progress, social development, and emotional health. Moreover, this relationship extends beyond individual punishment experiences, as children attending schools with punitive disciplinary climates display more behavior problems and do worse academically than children in less punitive school climates. Some scholars suggest that, similar to punishment, medicalized discipline also disrupts academic progress and contributes to negative labeling, while others argue that medicalization improves behavioral and academic outcomes of children with behavior problems and medicalized school disciplinary climates can help at-risk kids, regardless of diagnoses. In this paper, I examine the association between school/district punitive and medicalized disciplinary climates, suspension and/or ADHD diagnoses, and behavior or academic problems across elementary and middle school using six waves of Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study data. In doing so, I ask three important questions: First, does school punishment and/or ADHD diagnoses affect delinquent behavior and academic performance between 9-15 years old? Second, does school punitive and/or medicalized disciplinary climates affect delinquent behavior and academic performance between 9-15 years old? Third, do school disciplinary climates mediate or moderate the relationship between school punishment, ADHD diagnoses, and delinquent behavior and academic performance between 9-15 years old?

Author

• David Ramey, The Pennsylvania State University