The School Experiences of Court-Involved Youth: A Multi-Informant Qualitative Study on Education and Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is a significant nationwide problem in the United States. A “school-to-prison pipeline” has been posited as a common pathway to youth court-involvement, stemming from policies that endorse youth arrest as an appropriate response to disruptive behaviors in, or chronic absence from, school. To examine how the educational experiences of court-involved youth (CIY) may inform more positive juvenile justice policies, we conducted interviews and focus groups with four groups: youth themselves (n = 14); teachers who work in juvenile detention facilities (n = 4); probation officers (n = 12); and potential employers (n = 2). We used thematic analysis and a dynamic systems model of identity development to form a picture of educational identities and court-involvement. Positive and supportive school contexts, including compassionate leadership, may strengthen youth educational identities and mitigate the school-to-prison pipeline. School and civic policies that endorse supportive rather than punitive responses to youth negative behaviors around schooling may be highly influential for social acceptance and support early in children’s development. Our findings suggest that educational and judicial systems working together may enhance youth experiences of school to best promote strong educational identities and positive lifespan outcomes.