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Protecting Students from Racial Discrimination in Public Schools

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Adolescents, Rapid Social Change, and the Law

Part of the book series: Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development ((ARAD))

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Abstract

The school to prison pipeline has become an increasingly popular topic of research in the field of Criminal Justice. These analyses focus on the racial biases that affect how disciplinary measures are given in public schools, and the increased probability that a child will end up in the system of corrections after being disciplined. Moreover, evidence suggests that minority children are segregated into the “slower” classes or special needs groups. While the findings suggests that these actions have been manifesting with shocking consistency in the public school system, a combination of recent empirical studies from various disciplines has uncovered another disturbing, yet consistent trend. Economically disadvantaged families are consistently segregated into poorer areas, which consequently confines them into lower quality school districts. Citizens who are overrepresented in the groups of those experiencing the harmful effects of societal discrimination are minorities, especially young African-American males. Yet, these empirical discoveries appear continuously overlooked when new reform policies are created for public schools and states alike. Initial empirical findings suggest that homogenous schooling may be a viable solution to the plight faced by juveniles in public school systems, and could diminish the overrepresentation of minorities in the school to prison pipeline. This chapter examines these issues and charts the feasibility of fostering homogenous schooling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, Bloomington, USA

    Robert Crawford

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  1. Robert Crawford
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Correspondence to Robert Crawford .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Criminal Justice, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

    Roger J.R. Levesque

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Crawford, R. (2016). Protecting Students from Racial Discrimination in Public Schools. In: Levesque, R. (eds) Adolescents, Rapid Social Change, and the Law. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41535-2_6

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