The Effect of School Discipline on Offending across Time

Despite decreases in offending and victimization in schools across the United States, many schools continue to use exclusionary discipline. Although school punishment has been tied to a variety of negative outcomes, the link between suspension and offending remains unclear. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this study examines the extent to which school punishment contributes to within-individual increases in offending across time and/or amplifies offending between-individuals. Results of a series of cross-lagged dynamic fixed-effects panel models reveal that school suspensions contribute to within-individual increases in offending. This relationship remains even when accounting for the effect of baseline levels of offending on future offending. Further, repeated suspensions amplify offending differences between-individuals.