Too Strict or Too Lenient?: Examining The Role of School Strictness With Educational and Juvenile Justice Outcomes

• NCJ Number: 252897
• Journal: Sociological Spectrum Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: 2018 Pages: 223-242
• Author(s): Anthony A. Peguero; Miner P. Marchbanks III; Kay S. Varela; John M. Eason; Jamilia Blake
• Date Published: 2018
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2012-JF-FX-4064
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using data from the Texas Education Agency's Public Education Information Management System, this study examined the relationship between strict and lenient school punishment practices, academic progress or failure, and juvenile justice contact.

Abstract

Although existing research has analyzed how school punishment practices influence academic and juvenile justice outcomes, no research to date has examined how strict or lenient school punishment practices are related to aspects of education such as grade retention and dropping out, as well as juvenile justice contact. In addressing these issues, the current study found that schools with more strict punishment practices can contribute to higher grade retention and juvenile justice referral rates; however, it also appears that lenient punishment practices also exacerbate these same outcomes as well as higher referral rates. The importance of fair, just, and balanced school punishment practices is discussed. (publisher abstract modified)