Punitive school discipline as a mechanism of structural marginalization with implications for health inequity: A systematic review of quantitative studies in the health and social sciences literature.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of non-randomized observational quantitative studies
PubMed 36385456 · doi:10.1111/nyas.14922
What was done
A systematic review of quantitative studies from health and social sciences literature was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to examine the relationship between punitive school discipline (surveillance, exclusion, corporal punishment) and health outcomes. A total of 19 studies were identified and analyzed using a sociostructural embodiment framework.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical statistics, effect estimates, or confidence intervals. The review identified links between punitive school discipline and increased risk for persistent depressive symptoms, clinical depression, borderline personality disorder, death by suicide, antisocial behavior, adult drug use disorder, tobacco use and smoking, injuries, trichomoniasis, and adolescent pregnancy.
Why it matters
This review aggregates quantitative evidence demonstrating that punitive school discipline is linked to broad, adverse physical and psychiatric health outcomes, contributing to structural health inequities among marginalized student populations.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical effect estimates or risk metrics. The evidence base comprises observational designs that are susceptible to confounding, and the abstract does not report on heterogeneity or study quality assessments.