School suspension is a common form of punishment in the United States that is disproportionately concentrated among racial minority and disadvantaged youth. In labeling theories, the implication is that such stigmatized sanctions may lead to interpersonal exclusion from normative others and to greater involvement with antisocial peers. I test this implication in the context of rural schools by 1) examining the association between suspension and discontinuity in same‐grade friendship ties, focusing on three mechanisms implied in labeling theories: rejection, withdrawal, and physical separation; 2) testing the association between suspension and increased involvement with antisocial peers; and (3) assessing whether these associations are stronger in smaller schools. Consistent with labeling theories, I find suspension associated with greater discontinuity in friendship ties, based on changes in the respondents’ friendship preferences and self‐reports of their peers. My findings are also consistent with changes in perceptual measures of exclusion. Additionally, I find suspension associated with greater involvement with substance‐using peers. Some but not all of these associations are stronger in smaller rural schools. Given the disproportionate distribution of suspension, my findings indicate that an excessive reliance on this exclusionary form of punishment may foster inequality among these youth.

中文翻译：

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学校惩罚和人际排斥：拒绝、退缩、与朋友分离


停学是美国一种常见的惩罚形式，主要集中在少数族裔和弱势青少年身上。在标签理论中，这意味着这种污名化的制裁可能会导致人际交往中被规范性他人排斥，并更多地卷入反社会同伴。我在农村学校的背景下测试了这一含义，方法是：1）检查同年级友谊关系中的停学和中断之间的关联，重点关注标签理论中隐含的三种机制：拒绝、退缩和身体分离； 2）测试停学与增加与反社会同伴的交往之间的关联； (3) 评估这些关联在规模较小的学校中是否更强。与标签理论一致，根据受访者友谊偏好的变化和同龄人的自我报告，我发现暂停与友谊关系的更大不连续性相关。我的发现也与排斥感测度的变化相一致。此外，我发现停职与更多地参与吸毒同龄人有关。这些协会中的一些（但不是全部）在规模较小的农村学校中更为强大。鉴于停学的比例不成比例，我的研究结果表明，过度依赖这种排他性的惩罚形式可能会加剧这些年轻人之间的不平等。