Discipline in schools is not unusual. From warnings to detentions to suspensions to expulsions, schools have come up with numerous ways to try to prevent bad behavior. However, what if these punishments are actually having the opposite effect? Suspensions, in particular, have questionable results. 

Often when a student is suspended, it's because they did something bad enough that the school decided they shouldn’t return for a little while. The amount of days spent away from school usually depends on the gravity of the offense with longer times for worse behavior. Things such as repeated talking back to staff, violence or attempted violence, threatening others, possessing, selling, or giving away drugs, and being deliberately disobedient are all examples of reasons why students get suspended. 

Sometimes though, a student could be suspended for infractions with less weight. A good example is if a student breaks the dress code. Technically that counts as violating the school's code of conduct and repeated offenses, depending on what the student is wearing and a few other factors, could lead to disciplinary action as severe as suspension. But is this a good enough reason for that student to miss important class time? While there are a lot of other factors and decisions that go into this final verdict, for the most part, a lot of people would say class time is more important than how the student is dressed. 

So doesn't it make more sense for struggling students to be present in school than suspended from it? Not only does it take away important learning time, but it also can increase the chance of misbehavior in the future. A study done by the Center for Court Innovation of New York City found that students who receive punishment in school are more likely to get into trouble later down the road. 

What if instead of punishing students by making them stay home, schools tried more friendly and positive ways to encourage students to behave? Practices such as restorative justice, a program that focuses on fixing broken relationships and building new healthy ones, could help. Peer-led meditation, groups where students can process their emotions and thoughts, and talking to counselors are all other, more positive ways that schools could help change student behavior. 

Sometimes, a suspension might be the best choice, especially if a student is creating an unsafe environment for others. However, even in this case, in-school suspensions might be better than out-of-school suspensions. This allows staff to monitor students to make sure they are staying caught up and not getting into additional trouble while out of the classroom. Occasionally the home environment of a student might be part of the issue and forcing a student to be in that situation for a few days could make things worse. Another concern is parents' work schedules. If a student's parents both work the student would either have to be home alone or one of the parents might have to take off work, which could potentially be harmful. 

While suspensions might seem like a good option or even just the easiest one, they are not always the best solution for students who could instead benefit from something a little more positive.