“My Teacher Doesn’t Like Me”: Perceptions of Teacher Discrimination and School Disciplinary Infractions among African-American and Caribbean Black Adolescent Girls

This study examined the impact of perceived teacher discrimination on school disciplinary infractions of African-American and Caribbean Black adolescent girls. The findings are drawn from a nationally representative sample of (n = 410) African-American and (n = 193) Caribbean Black adolescent girls age 13 to 17 (Mage = 15). Results indicate that perceiving discrimination from teachers was associated with higher school disciplinary infractions (e.g., suspension, expulsion, and spending time in a jail, detention center) for African-American girls. For Caribbean Black girls, higher household income and school bonding was associated with lower school disciplinary infractions. Older Caribbean Black girls were also more likely to receive higher school disciplinary infractions. However, perceiving discrimination from teachers was not associated with school disciplinary infractions for Caribbean Black girls. The developmental significance and implications for future research are discussed.