The main purpose of the article by DeMatthews, Carey, Olivarez, and Saeedi was to explore how racial perceptions impact the enactment of disciplinary measures in school contexts. The authors began by stating that Black students have a higher likelihood of facing a suspension than White students. In that way, it is important to focus on the actions of school authorities, such as the principals as the major disciplinary agents, and their perspectives on students’ race in connection with their behaviors. The authors added that negative school outcomes created by these power dynamics could produce adverse social outcomes and that is why this research is important. DeMatthews et al. noted that Black students often face punishments that are too harsh for the kind of misconduct they showed. This phenomenon can be interpreted as the abuse of power and excessive reactiveness of the authorities to the actions of a specific social group. The authors discussed the concept of institutional racism as based on a notion coming from biases practiced on multiple levels and resulting in the “adultification” of Black students and their perception as flawed beyond repair. Over the course of the study, DeMatthews et al. found that the principals responsible for the enactment of disciplinary measures tend to base their decisions on personal ideas, as well as the attitudes dominant in their communities and regions and practiced by other related agencies such as district policy-makers, schools, and administrations. The personal beliefs of the principals can be different depending on their individual backgrounds and mindsets. The latter are formed by a variety of internal and external factors and thus make the agents confident about their actions and visions.
Reference
DeMatthews, Carey, Olivarez, and Saeedi (2017). Guilty as Charged? Principals’ Perspectives on Disciplinary Practices and the Racial Discipline Gap. Educational Administration Quarterly, Vol. 53(4) 519–555.