Defiant or Deterred? School Discipline Practices, Student Perceptions, and Juvenile Delinquency

School disciplinary practices have been linked to increased juvenile delinquency, and these effects have been found to vary according to certain characteristics of youths. However, little is known about how students’ perceptions related to school discipline might condition these relationships, despite related developments in the labeling and deterrence literatures more generally. Through the lens of defiance theory (Sherman, 1993), it is possible that some juveniles might respond to suspension/expulsion with “defiance,” thus weakening the capacity of these sanctions to deter future delinquency. Using a nationally representative sample, this study examines the characteristics of juveniles and their reactions to school sanctions.