Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Kristin Lloyd
Committee Member
Dr. Pierce Greenberg
Committee Member
Dr. William Casey
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between parental justice contact, school disciplinary action, and academic performance of juvenile justice involved youth. Prior research has found youth with parents with justice system contact and juvenile justice involved youth to be vulnerable populations. Specifically, this study examines how a youthful offender with at least one parent with justice system contact performs academically, and if this relationship is moderated by school disciplinary action. Using quantitative data from the baseline wave of the Pathways to Desistance Study (Mulvey et. al, 2004), an ordered logistic regression analysis was employed to assess whether parental justice contact predicts students’ grades, and if school discipline moderates this relationship. A table of averages was also produced to determine how each of these variables interact separately. The results further reveal that neither parental justice contact, nor school disciplinary action, are statistically significant predictors of academic performance. Additionally, the interaction between parental justice contacts and school discipline is not statistically significant, indicating no moderating effect. However, gender and self-control are significant predictors of academic performance in this sample. Juvenile offenders often experience multiple social and structural challenges that may influence their educational trajectory in ways that this analysis was unable to capture. As a result, continued research utilizing longitudinal data is necessary for developing a more comprehensive understanding of how family justice involvement and school disciplinary action interact to affect youth outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Hamer, Morgan M., "Between Home and Hallway: Does School Discipline and Parental Incarceration Moderate Academic Outcomes Among Justice Involved Youth?" (2026). All Theses. 4735.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4735