Rather than mitigating behavioral issues, exclusionary school disciplinary practices can actually increase student misbehavior and school dropout. However, the impact these sanctions have on students may vary based on school climate, particularly whether the environment is inclusive or punitive. Relying on a sample of over 2,000 students within 26 schools, we examine whether school climate shapes the impact of suspension on future delinquency and later school sanctions. We find that suspension is associated with increased misbehavior and additional sanctioning, regardless of school climate. These results suggest that suspensions can cause harm no matter the environment in which they are meted out, and schools should work to reduce their use of exclusionary punishments.
The College of Arts