DISPARATE IMPACT: School Discipline Hits Boys Hardest:

Most of our public discourse on gender and education is focused on the way girls are given the short shrift—by being shepherded into non-STEM fields, for example, or by getting passed over in class discussions, or by facing disproportionate harassment and bullying. And while all of these may be real problems, it’s important to remember that classroom inequalities don’t just flow in one direction. The latest example: A new study finds that school disciplinary procedures have a lasting negative impact on boys’ educational prospects that they don’t seem to have on girls. . . .

Commentators like Christina Hoff Sommers have long pointed out that school disciplinary procedures, including discouragement of competitive or rough-and-tumble play, have an unhealthy impact on young boys. (And boys of color are more likely to be disciplined). It’s good to see this problem starting to get attention in the mainstream academic literature.

The overwhelming female-leaning gender disparity in K-12 education is part of the problem. We need civil rights legislation to address this problem.