In the wake of a viral video showing the brutal arrest of a black high school girl in South Carolina, researchers in New York have released preliminary findings of a study that indicates that—all other things (including crime and income) being equal—schools are more likely to use police security as the proportion of black students rises.
Talking Points Memo reports:
The new study by two academics in New York showed that the mere presence of African American students at a school makes it more likely the school will take on security measures, even when controlling for neighborhood crime and school misconduct.
The study also found, among other things, greater racial disparities in student suspensions and arrests in schools where there are cops present or other security measures are taken. Those arrest and suspensions are believed to contribute to the so-called "school-to-prison pipeline."
“To the extent that police in schools may contribute to the disproportionate arrest of African-American students, the use and/or role of police in schools should require careful reexamination,” an overview of the study provided to TPM said.
"Security" measures here, often in the form of uniformed police, are too often black teenagers' first stops along the long path toward prison. Even within these schools, officers are twice as likely to arrest black students than white students. These officers seem to be responsible for racial disparities in in-school arrests, as schools without officers do not show such disparities.
This is sobering and frightening news. The criminalization of blackness earlier and earlier on in life normalizes police aggression against black people. This finding essentially confirms that blackness is the sole factor in entry to the prison pipeline for many students. As in the South Carolina incident, this study shows the mechanism by which police violence against black people is also normalized early on.