Adolescent Psychology

Adolescent Psychology
Discrimination based on race has a major influence on disciplinary action taken by schools, resulting in harsher consequences for students of color. Adolescents of color stand higher chances of being punished in school than white adolescents. Although the disproportionality could be due to various factors, such as differences in behavioral infractions among racial groups and schools' varying approaches to discipline, there is little evidence to support this explanation.
Various researches have been carried out to outline the disparity between black adolescents and white peers regarding the disciplinary actions they face in school. A study by Fisher et al. (2020) shows that students of color are more likely to be suspended than white students. The study involved 73,755 students from 131 schools. 56.4% of the students were White, while 43.6% were black. Interviews were carried out using questionnaires, and data analysis indicated a high level of disciplinary disparities. However, the disparities are only evident in schools that do not offer black students a sense of belonging. A systemic review by Albritton, Mathews and Anhalt (2019) focused on the Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) framework and how it can be used to analyze discipline disproportionality among kindergarten pupils of color. The study reviewed previous studies and identified the areas where enough research has not been done. The two studies exhibit the disciplinary disproportionalities in schools, showing how such disparities can affect a student's behavioral and mental wellbeing.
Disciplinary disparities play an important role in black students' academic performance as it directly impacts the mental health of children. Students who experience higher levels of discrimination are more likely to be psychologically distressed. According to the ECMHC framework, discriminatory experiences have a negative impact on the self-esteem of black students (...