School Suspension and its Effect on Juvenile Delinquency

Jonashia Varns

This project investigates school suspension and its effect on juvenile delinquency in terms of race, social class, and gender. It considers teachers’ effects on student’s ability to succeed in class. It includes interviews with men who were imprisoned before moving into a halfway house, which is a federal or state program that helps ex-convicts build a better life. Five men gave different stories about their childhood and school life growing up. The interviews suggested that their decision to go to juvenile was because of them. Some of them came from a good, supportive families but still did not do the right things. Also, some of them had great grades but just chose to do bad things.

• Jonashia Varns is a senior from Charleston SC majoring in sociology. Jonashia worked as a camp counselor, camp director, after school teacher, and daycare assistant.