Students pushed out of School : how school discipline is a selective force behind student turnover

This paper aims to uncover if and how students’ levels of disruptive behaviors influence the association between being subjected to disciplinary actions and transferring schools or dropping out. Multilevel analyses were carried out on data of 1955 students in 25 urban secondary schools in Ghent (Flanders) that participated in the International Study of City Youth (ISCY). Results indicate that school discipline is a driving force behind student turnover, and for student mobility, but not for student dropout, school discipline is a stronger predictor for students who exhibit lower levels of disruptive behaviors in school. We suggest that these students feel like they are being treated unfairly and that these feelings prompt the decision to transfer schools.