‘Shadow discipline’ refers to forms of punishment that are implemented out of sight and often go unreported. Also termed as “informal discipline,” this practice does not occur in literal darkness but rather in ways that remain unnoticed, untracked, and unrecorded by school authorities.
Typically punitive in nature, shadow discipline lacks constructive redirection or appropriate social modeling, and recent surveys indicate that it disproportionately impacts students with special needs and children of color. While no child should face such disciplinary measures, vulnerable populations suffer the most harm from these practices.
What Constitutes Shadow Discipline?
Examples include untracked out-of-school suspensions (often arranged for parent pickup), silent lunches, exclusion from recess, removal to a separate room, and tactics that shame or humiliate students to correct undesirable behavior.
The key difference between shadow discipline and more formal exclusionary discipline is the lack of reporting. Incidents such as in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, and expulsions are documented under exclusionary discipline, while shadow discipline simply isn’t.
The Texas Study
In Texas, a study surveyed educators, parents, and students regarding shadow discipline. Many students faced repeated punishment without any formal tracking of their behavior or its consequences. Alarmingly, 65% of parents reported their children had lost recess time as a form of discipline. This is particularly concerning given the recognized importance of recess as a time for children to expend energy and engage socially in an unstructured setting. For example, my son, diagnosed with ADHD, would find further restriction of his movement counterproductive; removing recess would likely worsen his classroom behavior.
Other forms of shadow discipline cited by parents included the use of cool-down rooms (58%), loss of after-school activities (50%), parent pickups (49%), shaming (47%), and isolated lunches (46%). Additionally, 27% of parents indicated their child had to stand outside the classroom, with 33% of that group losing a substantial amount of classroom time due to this punishment.
Interestingly, 77% of educators in the survey found shadow discipline ineffective for achieving lasting behavioral change. A similar number believed such methods did not enhance academic outcomes.
The Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Shadow discipline can particularly harm students with special needs and children of color. The Texas study highlighted the effects of shadow discipline on students with disabilities, while existing research shows that students of color often face harsher punishments for similar behaviors compared to their white counterparts. This reality underscores the urgency of addressing the negative impacts of shadow discipline on these groups.
Parent pickups, a common and troubling form of shadow discipline, operate similarly to suspensions but go unrecorded. The Texas survey indicated that many administrators encourage parents to pick children up rather than formally suspending them, keeping these incidents off the student’s record. However, this practice can lead to increased absences from school and place undue stress on families who must leave work.
Moreover, relying on parent pickups diverts attention from identifying potential underlying issues behind a student’s behavior, leaving them susceptible to continued punishment and hindering their educational experience. How can a child thrive academically if they are often absent from the classroom?
Exploring Alternatives
While some disciplinary methods may be appropriate as a last resort in conjunction with positive strategies, the issue arises when these punishments are employed without exploring other interventions first. For students with disabilities, such punitive measures tend to create more challenges than solutions.
Additionally, federal law mandates that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), after a student has been subjected to 10 instances of exclusionary discipline, a formal assessment must occur to determine if the behavior is linked to their disability.
The Texas study found that 95% of students subjected to parent pickups had a disability. If these incidents aren’t documented, children in need of appropriate interventions, such as behavioral support, may fall through the cracks. They risk not receiving the necessary assistance guaranteed by federal law.
Yet, students without disabilities are also adversely affected by shadow discipline. Exclusion from classroom activities denies them vital social interactions, disrupts family routines, and allows schools to overlook underlying needs, potentially contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline.
Since shadow discipline remains undocumented, it results in misleading data on disciplinary actions, enabling schools to depend excessively on exclusionary methods while perpetuating disparities among students of color and those with disabilities compared to their peers.
What Should Schools Do Instead?
The majority of educators (77%) believe alternative approaches are more effective. Strategies such as behavior contracts, parental involvement, and counseling interventions can yield better outcomes but require collaboration across the educational community. Teachers need support to implement individualized interventions effectively.
According to the National Association of School Psychologists, educators aim to create a safe, productive learning environment while fostering self-discipline among students. Achieving self-discipline is challenging and cannot be accomplished in isolation. Good discipline transcends fear of punishment; it should be about equipping children to make responsible choices.
For students with disabilities affecting their impulse control, shadow discipline fails to achieve this goal. Therefore, it is crucial that all disciplinary actions are documented, ensuring that students with significant behavioral issues receive timely assessments and interventions. Social modeling of appropriate behavior is essential, and isolating students or sending them home does not foster this learning.
My son, diagnosed with ADHD, faced numerous challenges during elementary school. Fortunately, he had dedicated teachers who patiently redirected his behavior instead of opting for easier punitive measures. Now in middle school, he thrives thanks to the support of a community invested in his long-term growth. Every child deserves such backing, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds. Shadow discipline is not the solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, schools must abandon shadow discipline practices that harm vulnerable students and instead adopt methods that foster growth and understanding.
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