Aaron Kupchik
Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Key Findings
- Young adults with a history of school suspensions are less likely to vote and volunteer in adulthood.
- Suspension undermines the development of individual skills needed for democracy.
Description
In, “Discipline and Participation: The Long-Term Effects of Suspension and School Security on the Political and Civic Engagement of Youth,” Kupchik uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health data to build off previous research on school discipline and future outcomes of students. This research focused on how school suspension history impacts likeliness to volunteer and vote in adulthood. The results showed that the more school suspension a student had the less likely they were to be active in the democratic process or in volunteering.