ERIC Number: EJ1424869
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1938-8926
EISSN: EISSN-1938-8934
Available Date: N/A
Does Race Matter? An Experimental Vignette Study on Harm Severity, College Student Discipline, and Restorative Justice
Terrill O. Taylor; Tamba-Kuii M. Bailey
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, v17 n3 p385-401 2024
Research suggests support for harsher sanctions for wrongdoers increase in association with the perceived severity of the harm caused. To date, however, research has focused mostly on retributive modes of punishment and has less often addressed restorative sanctions. Furthermore, research has documented racial disparities in conduct sanctioning, especially within elementary and secondary school-based settings, with research suggesting that Black students are sanctioned harsher than White students. Surprisingly, racial disparities in student conduct sanctions within higher education settings have rarely been examined. The present study therefore examined the degree to which college/university students, faculty/staff, and administrators' support for types of conduct sanctions (e.g., retributive, restorative, no outcome) differed based on their restorative justice attitudes, global beliefs in a just world, and their perceptions of harm severity. Additionally, this study examined whether college/university students and personnel's support for conduct sanctions differed based on the student's race. Using an experimental research methodology, participants (N = 521) were asked to respond to one of two harm vignettes that varied by manipulation of the wrongdoer's race. multigroup-structural equation modeling (MG-SEM) was used to examine the regression pathways, and the model resulted in adequate fit. Results suggested that there were significant differences in support for conduct sanctions, with there being less support for restorative sanctions for the Black student wrongdoer as perceptions of harm severity increased. This research can help address and reform postsecondary campus policies on student conduct practices. Implications for research, advocacy and public policy, and education, training, and psychological practice are discussed.
Descriptors: College Students, Discipline, Restorative Practices, Racial Factors, Race, Racial Identification, Beliefs, Attitudes, Predictor Variables, Justice, Racial Discrimination
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Related Records: ED637154
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A