School Discipline Problems in Rural African American Early Adolescents: Characteristics of Students with Major, Minor, and No Offenses

Abstract

The authors examined school discipline problems in relation to academic and interpersonal characteristics of students in a middle school of a rural low-income community. The sample comprised 259 students (83 boys, 176 girls)—all of whom were African American—and reflected the community's public school attendance. School records were examined, and students were identified as having no offenses, minor offenses, or major offenses. More than 50% of the girls had no offenses, and fewer than 20% had major offenses. Girls identified as having no offenses tended to be competent across the academic, behavioral, and social domains, whereas girls with major offenses tended to have multiple problems. For the boys, 37% had major offenses and 34% had no offenses. Involvement in aggression appeared to be the primary factor that differentiated among boys who were and were not referred for discipline problems. The authors discuss the results in terms of their implications for assessment and prevention.