Race, Femininity, and School Suspension

Abstract

Research has suggested that the disproportionate number of Black girls subject to school discipline is not due entirely to their higher levels of misbehavior, but racial and gendered stereotypes surrounding Black girls’ femininity. This study uses student-level data from two national longitudinal multi-site program evaluations, Teens, Crime and the Community/Community Works and the second evaluation of the Gang Resistance Educational and Training program to assess whether the relationship between self-report delinquent behavior and subsequent suspension differs for Black girls relative to other racial/gender groups. In doing so, I find some support for racial and gendered disciplinary experiences of Black girls.