Racial Bias in School Discipline and Police Contact: Evidence From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Social Development (ABCD-SD) Study 

This study examined data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Social Development study, a national, longitudinal study involving 2,156 youth across the country, to assess the impact of race on school discipline. This study found that Black youth experience higher levels of exclusionary discipline and police contact, starting at a younger age, than white youth. In addition, once Black youth face detention and suspension, they are more likely to receive severe school discipline in the future over a shorter period of time, compared to white youth. Based on the racialization of school discipline, this study calls for alternative approaches that focus on evidence-based and relational responses to student misconduct. This study offers youth defense advocates with data on racial disparities to fight against school discipline practices and advance equitable policies that promote a healthy learning environment for all youth.