Transforming Discriminatory Discipline through Addressing Racial Stress: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Polk, Whitney, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award was provided as part of NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) program and SBE's Social Psychology program. The goal of the SPRF program is to prepare promising, early career doctoral-level scientists for scientific careers in academia, industry or private sector, and government. SPRF awards involve two years of training under the sponsorship of established scientists and encourage Postdoctoral Fellows to perform independent research. NSF seeks to promote the participation of scientists from all segments of the scientific community, including those from underrepresented groups, in its research programs and activities; the postdoctoral period is considered to be an important level of professional development in attaining this goal. Each Postdoctoral Fellow must address important scientific questions that advance their respective disciplinary fields. Under the sponsorship of Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania this postdoctoral fellowship award supports an early career scientist investigating the racial stress and coping processes associated with discriminatory school discipline. Since 1975, research has demonstrated racial disparities in school discipline disproportionately impacting Black youth (Child Defense Fund, 1975). Black students receive more disciplinary referrals, harsher consequences, and more punitive interventions compared to their peers, even when cited for the same or similar infractions (Brown & Tillio, 2013; Skiba, Arrendondo, & Rausch, 2014). Black youth are not only aware of these racial disparities in discipline, but also associate differential treatment with greater perceptions of inequity and discrimination (Bottiani et al., 2016; Hope, Skoog, & Jagers, 2015; Fisher, Wallace, Fenton, 2000). Research demonstrates clear associations between racially disproportionate discipline and negative academic, social, and economic outcomes for Black students, as well as the academic and psychological costs of racial discrimination. However, the specific effects of discriminatory school discipline on Black youth adjustment and relations with racial stress are not well-known. Racial stress is the result of repeated, prolonged exposure to discriminatory environments and interactions, negatively impacting Black youth’s mental, physical, and emotional health (Carter & Helms, 2009; Harrell, 2000; Smith, Yosso, & Solorzano, 2007; Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008). Schools become sites of racial stress when students routinely experience discriminatory school policies, practices, and interactions with educators. A growing body of research explores the role of families in supporting racial stress coping among Black youth in response to discriminatory events (Anderson & Stevenson, 2018; Anderson, Jones, McKenny, Anyiwo, Gaylord-Harding, 2018). However, there is limited research examining school-based racial stress and coping in relation to discriminatory discipline, and the role educators can play in reducing racial stress within discriminatory discipline interactions. The overall goal of the project entitled, Transforming Discriminatory Discipline through Addressing Racial Stress: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, is to examine two critical, timely, and relevant topics- racially disproportionate discipline and racial stress/trauma. The research project employs a mixed-method approach across two phases intending (1) to qualitatively explore teachers’ and students’ understanding and experiences regarding racial stress and discipline, and (2) to develop a culturally competent transformative discipline intervention for educators to address school-based racial stress and reduce discriminatory discipline interactions. Phase 1 involves a qualitative exploration of educators’ beliefs and practices regarding discipline and racial stress, as well as mixed-method inquiry of Black students’ experiences and coping processes regarding discriminatory discipline and racial stress. Phase 2 involves a pilot intervention, informed by data collected in Phase 1, that addresses racially stressful disciplinary interactions by testing aspects of the Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory (RECAST) model (Anderson & Stevenson, 2018) and provides educators with opportunities to gain in-the-moment trauma-informed discipline techniques. The proposed study intends to advance scientific knowledge of Black youth racial stress, coping, and adjustment, to improve educator-student relationships, reduce racial disparities in school discipline, and to enhance the educational and professional experiences of both Black youth and their educators, respectively. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.