Primarily, school discipline is a vital element in the majority of American Schools. Earlier on, the rising alarms on public violence experienced prompted policymakers to adopt the school criminalization approach. The phenomenon aims to maintain law and order so offenders may be punished whenever they breach the set rules and regulations. Meanwhile, since its adoption, various individuals have developed diverse views. This paper is going to view school criminalization from a sociological perspective.
Initially, a significant number of scholars suggest that school criminalization is manifested in the form of school security and punishment students undergo in times of misconduct. Most of the learning institutions in Chicago and New York City promote zero tolerance for undesirable behaviors. Recently, the New York Schools Association pushed for the adoption of criminalization phenomenon in schools. Since then, this has been the reason why famous military schools in the city, such as the United States Military Academy (USMA), were established. Similarly, in Chicago, discipline is given priority. In schools such as the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, suspensions are conventional for misbehaving students. Generally, school criminalization is characterized by various governing bodies and social values that define their uniqueness in terms of discipline. Some sociologists apprehend the labeling theories in explaining school criminalization; such individuals who breach the laws are regarded as criminals ( Hirschfield & Celinska, 2011 ). Meanwhile, the criminalizing ability varies significantly with school practices. In a school set up, the approach is distributed through surveillance, punishment, and security. Notably, from a sociological point of view, we draw two conclusions. First, the phenomenon is a social and political intervention to fears emanating from crimes and other related social insecurities. Apart from that, school criminalization is perceived as a move to take into account both existing and emerging structural issues and realignment of power ( Hirschfield & Celinska, 2011 ). Consequently, school criminalization is like a double-edged sword cutting with both sides. Initially, it generates social and political order; however, on some occasions, it is rather ineffective in addressing issues affecting student’s behavior. In such a case, scholars and policymakers need to develop innovative ways characterized by less methodological thoroughness, giving room for more effective practices. Assessment of the methods before and after is critical is ensuring the approach is ideal.
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In general, the aspect of school discrimination is essential in promoting disciplines in learning institutions. It helps in maintaining law and order, therefore, facilitating the smooth flow of operations. However, from a sociological point of view, the approach is somehow ineffective in addressing matters pushing students to breach the rules and regulations. It is a collective responsibility for scholars and policymakers to implement efficient means to bring the best out of school discrimination for all stakeholders.
References
Hirschfield, P. J., & Celinska, K. (2011). Beyond fear: Sociological perspectives on the criminalization of school discipline. Sociology Compass , 5 (1), 1-12.
