New research released on the association between school exclusion, suspension, absence and violent crime

The Youth Endowment Fund has published new research into the links between school exclusion, suspension, absence and violent crime.

The study, conducted by the Universities of Bristol and Hull, used a sample of  nearly 15,000 children who have been tracked continuously into adulthood. Suspension, exclusion and absence data from the National Pupil Database were matched to the children being monitored in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who attended state-funded schools in Key Stage 4.

The research found that:

·         Being suspended or excluded and being absent from school more than 20% of the time are strongly correlated with self-reported and police-recorded offending.

·         These associations are still present once individual, household and education factors are accounted for.

·         After controlling for behavioural difficulties, absence, and suspension and exclusion are still associated with violence and police involvement. However, these findings are more uncertain.

·         The associations are stronger for involvement in more serious forms of crime and violence

Read the full report here.