Suspension and other forms of exclusionary discipline put students at increased risk for dropping out, experiencing employment problems later in life, and becoming involved with the criminal justice system—all with very little evidence that they make schools safer or improve student behavior. Such practices are also linked to poorer emotional health for young people, according to a new study by Marvin So and colleagues at the University of Minnesota.¹

Using data from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, So and team looked at 8th, 9th, and 11th grade public school students who had missed class in the previous month due to detention or suspension to see whether they were more likely than their peers to be depressed or anxious. The researchers also assessed whether certain supports, like extracurricular activities or healthy relationships with parents, protected against depression and anxiety symptoms.

Exclusionary Discipline Is Not Experienced Equally, but Its Impacts on Mental Health Are Universal

More than one in 10 students surveyed had experienced exclusionary discipline in the previous month. Certain groups were more likely to be disciplined, including students who reported family poverty, race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white, non-binary gender, special education participation, or multiple adverse childhood experiences.

Overall, the researchers found a 64% increase in odds for depression symptoms and a 49% increase in odds for anxiety symptoms among students who had experienced exclusionary discipline. Across racial/ethnic groups (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, white, another race/ethnicity), associations between exclusionary discipline and mental health symptoms were significant with one exception: Exclusionary discipline did not significantly increase odds for anxiety among American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

Anxiety and depression in youth, particularly if untreated, can lead to academic problems, substance misuse, suicidal behavior, and other long-term negative outcomes.

Protective Factors Benefit All Students

Psychosocial protective factors provide a buffer against symptoms of depression and anxiety for young people affected by exclusionary discipline. In the study, the presence of any of the nine protective factors examined—extracurricular opportunities, positive identity, social competency, parent connectedness, caring friends, caring adults in the community, adults at school to talk to, high-quality teacher-student relationships, and perceived school safety—was significantly correlated with reduced depression. And seven of the nine protective factors were significantly linked to reduced anxiety.

Protective factors also lowered the likelihood for depression and anxiety among those students in the survey who did not experience exclusionary discipline, and to a greater degree than those who did—a finding the researchers found surprising.

“Ultimately, results imply that protective factors support the health of youth irrespective of disciplinary experience,” they noted.

Reinterpreting ‘Misbehavior’ Could Translate to Improved Student Wellness

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) maintains that out-of-school suspensions and expulsions are “counterproductive to the intended goals, rarely if ever are necessary, and should not be considered as appropriate discipline in any but the most extreme and dangerous circumstances.”² Instead, the AAP recommends a prevention approach—one that recognizes and addresses sociodemographic factors that put children at risk for problem behaviors and provides them with positive interventions before serious discipline problems arise.

The new study provides additional evidence for the disproportionate burden of exclusionary discipline on students with pre-existing economic, social, and family challenges, as well as the negative consequences of exclusionary discipline for those students. In this context, the researchers suggest, rethinking discipline is key. Disciplinary frameworks that interpret student misbehavior as a means of coping with challenges and adopt trauma-informed, restorative practices and support systems are likely to benefit students and their schools, they add.

Results of the study also suggest that educators and others should work to bolster protective factors to promote the emotional well-being of all young people—regardless of their experience with exclusionary discipline.

This article was produced under a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The work of researchers from the NICHD-funded Population Dynamics Research Center at the University of Minnesota was highlighted.