The Collateral Consequences of “Criminalized” School Punishment on Disadvantaged Parents and Families

The “criminalization” of school discipline has contributed to a number of negative outcomes for students and scholars have noted important racial, ethnic, and class disparities in school punishment. Yet, prior work provides little information in which to understand how the effects of criminalized school punishment may move beyond the student and impact parents and families—especially parents and families most likely to experience school discipline. By drawing upon what we know about the collateral consequences of criminal justice punishment—such as arrest and incarceration—on families more generally, the goal of this research project is to explore how school punishment affects disadvantaged parents and families. Interviews with primarily poor, single, Black mothers, reveal that as a result of school discipline, parents reported important collateral consequences including negative financial outcomes such as losing their job, negative emotional consequences including depression and emotional turmoil, and a decrease in future expectations for their child. Respondents highlighted that these consequences were largely attributable to social disadvantage and a lack of social capital.