Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Lim, Caroline

Abstract

Background: The school to prison pipeline (STPP) is a systemic issue that reflects the intersection of educational inequities and punitive practices disproportionately affecting society’s youth in underserved communities. The STPP funnels students out of educational environments and into the criminal justice system through the overuse of punitive practices such as suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. This especially affects students of color, LGBTQ youth and those with disabilities and perpetuates cycles of injustice, poverty, marginalization, and incarceration. The social control theory provides a useful framework in understanding the relationship between deviant behavior and social bonds (Stewart & Rapp, 2017). When individuals form strong attachments, commitments, involvements, and beliefs within conventional institutions, they are less likely to engage in deviance, suggesting that strengthening these bonds through spirituality/religiousness (S/R) may serve as a protective factor against school inclusion and subsequent justice involvement. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between students’ levels of S/R and their likelihood of involvement in the STPP in Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD). Also, it considers the overrepresentation and intersectionality factors for racial and ethnic minority youths, LGBTQ youths, and disabled youths. Methods: This study suggests a longitudinal observational study that will follow approximately 500 students from CJUSD from 7th grade through age 18. Participants will complete annual online surveys assessing levels of S/R using the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), self-reported experiences, school discipline records, and involvement with the law. Systematic probability sampling will be used to select eligible students with a history of disciplinary action. Data collection will occur once per year over six years, allowing researchers to examine trends and correlations between S/R and potential involvement in the STPP.

Download

  Contact Author

Share

COinS