Aaron Kupchik
Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Key Findings
- Being suspended in school increases the likelihood that a student will experience criminal victimization, criminal involvement and incarceration as an adult.
Description
In, “School Suspensions and Adverse Experiences in Adulthood,” Kupchik describes the school-to-prison pipeline, which highlights the negative future implications of suspensions, expulsions and school arrests on students. Previous research shows the harmful effects of school dismissal as a form of punishment, including falling behind academically and a higher chance of misconduct later in life. Kupchik takes a new approach to expand this research by using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health to find correlations between school suspension and negative adult outcomes. The findings showed that the negative outcomes suspended students face include criminal involvement and incarceration in the future.