The article Offsetting racial divides: Adolescent African American males & restorative justice practices by Gwanthey, A. (2021) is a study of high school inequalities that adolescents face. In particular, Gwathney (2021) draws attention to the phenomenon of zero tolerance based on the experiences of African American males who have interdisciplinary penalties. Her work draws on the theoretical foundations of Critical Race Theory (CRT), allowing them to establish systematic unfairness patterns of suspensions as punishment. The main research question of the paper is to determine the relationship between race and the outcomes of suspension as punishment for misconduct.
Gwathney (2021) first identifies statistical patterns: she finds that African American male adolescents experience suspensions far more often than other adolescents. According to the author, school suspensions are irrelevant and have a detrimental effect. Gwathney (2021) refers to a GOA report that dictates how to reduce school inequality and suggests using CRT to change this situation. This theory establishes that the influence of social constructs is so significant in the school environment that it can lead to microaggressions that lead to disciplinary action. A direct consequence is the systematic oppression of racial minorities’ opportunities in school.
Exploring Elijah’s experiences, Gwatheny (2021) determines that African American adolescents cannot independently cope with discrimination and prejudice, so they feel depressed and angry. In particular, this is evidenced by Elijah’s acts of aggression and discipline violations because their experiences of classroom interactions are more harmful than others. Gwatheny (2021) notes that restorative justice, along with restraints and suspensions, increases adolescents’ sense of safety of color and facilitates the process of experiencing trauma. The author chose counter-storytelling as the primary way to work with the teenager, allowing her to deal effectively with some of Elijah’s problems. In this way, the author achieved trust and understanding with Elijah and determined that the color of his skin was the leading cause of his anxiety.
Gwatheny (2021) integrates his experiences with Elijah to make a case for counseling and restorative justice because understanding cannot be achieved without empathy and acceptance of others’ characteristics. The disciplinary system of Elijah’s school has significant limitations in providing comfort and equality, making defining the adolescent’s goals and orientation a significant challenge in work. Gwatheny (2021) documents that listening to and empathizing with others’ experiences allows Elijah to change her perspective and cope with bouts of microaggression and anxiety. She notes the value of group activities that improve the overall nature of adolescent interactions in a school setting.
As a result of her research, Gwatheny (2021) definitively concludes that disciplinary punishments are ineffective if they restrict attendance. Instead, they are detrimental to the mental state of adolescents of color and provoke acts of microaggression that exacerbate the inequality and severity of punishment. Social isolation and emotional exhaustion are the main consequences of inequalities that the school environment does not know how to deal with effectively. The author believes that shifting the focus to selecting individual principles of discipline and exploring problems empirically could change this situation.
Reference
Gwathney, A. N. (2021). Offsetting racial divides: Adolescent African American males & restorative justice practices. Clinical Social Work Journal, 49, 436-355. Web.