The arrest of Texas teenager Ahmed Mohamed, who brought a homemade clock mistaken for a bomb to school on Monday, has sparked a national public conversation. Tia Stevens, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina, conducts research on racial and ethnic disparities, particularly boys, and the probability of arrest. She can discuss the implications of the Texas case. Her research has been cited in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
Stevens says there are two key points to be made in the Mohamed case: It reflects a larger pattern of criminalizing school discipline, and students of color bear the brunt of tough school discipline polices.
On criminalizing school discipline, Stevens says, “Zero-tolerance school disciplinary policies criminalize minor infractions of school rules and specify predetermined mandatory consequences punishments for specific offenses. These policies have criminalized normal adolescent behavior and many have broad definitions of ‘weapon.’”
As for students of color bearing the brunt of harsh school discipline, she says, “Zero-tolerance policies are most common in high-poverty, high-minority schools with few resources. Black youth are punished more harshly and frequently than white youth. They are more likely to be suspended, arrested, and processed through the juvenile justice system than white youth for the same behaviors.”
To interview Stevens, contact Peggy Binette at [email protected] or 803-777-7704.
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