Exposure to Adversity and Trauma Among Students Who Experience School Discipline: A Scoping Review

Abstract

While the disproportional application of school discipline has garnered notable attention, the relationship between trauma or adversity and school discipline is under examined. The purpose of the current scoping review was to map the state of the literature, empirical and theoretical, at the intersection of school discipline, and trauma or adversity. The findings identified a gap in our knowledge as only 14 of the 49 included articles detailed empirical studies focused on the relationship between adversity and school discipline, with very few from outside of the United States. However, this burgeoning body of knowledge points to a significant relationship between trauma/adversity and experiencing school discipline that warrants further study and contextualizes expanded adversities, including poverty and racism as adversity. We believe this is necessary to acknowledging the hidden and unaddressed trauma among students being disproportionally disciplined, leading to a greater understanding of student lives, and evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally attuned discipline.