School exclusions linked to increased crime risk in England

The rate of children permanently excluded from schools in England has increased compared to last year and is now higher than before the pandemic. A recent BBC documentary highlighted that school exclusion can lead children toward serious violence. Data shows that by age 18, excluded children are 15 times more likely to face serious violence charges. However, many factors can contribute to both exclusion and violence. Children with special educational needs, those who grew up in poverty, or who have been in care are often at higher risk for both problems. This makes it difficult to determine how much school exclusion alone impacts future violence. Researchers aimed to isolate the effects of school exclusion by using a new method called target trial emulation. This approach tries to simulate a randomized controlled trial without the ethical concerns of actually excluding children for research. Using a large dataset linking school records with criminal records, researchers examined over 20,000 children who were excluded from 2006 to 2016. They found that excluded children were more than twice as likely to commit serious violent crimes within a year compared to similar children who were not excluded. While this research suggests that reducing school exclusions could be beneficial, it is a contentious issue. Some argue that exclusions are necessary to protect other students and maintain a safe learning environment. Critics say that high exclusion rates disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and those with special needs, leading to a cycle of disadvantage and crime. The focus should be on addressing the underlying causes of exclusion and violence. Schools often lack the resources to support at-risk children, leading to disciplinary measures that may do more harm than good. Developing inclusive systems within schools, while recognizing that they cannot tackle this issue alone, could help in preventing future violence.