School Discipline and Adolescent Health: The Role of Early Adversity and Neurodevelopment

ABSTRACT Adolescence is a key developmental period during which educational experiences shape long-term mental and physical health. Youth who disengage from school are at increased risk for mental health concerns and substance use. School-related factors, including exclusionary disciplinary practices, play an important role in influencing both academic engagement and health trajectories. The effects of these school-based experiences may be further shaped by early life stressors. Childhood adversity, such as exposure to violence, can contribute to increased sensitivity to stress and disrupt behavioral regulation, in part through its impact on neurodevelopment. These neurobiological adaptations may interact with educational factors to influence health outcomes during adolescence. This K01 proposal will leverage data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a large, longitudinal study of youth in the United States, to examine how individual, community, and school-related factors shape adolescent mental health and substance use outcomes. The project will pursue the following three research aims: (1) Examine how school discipline is associated with adolescent mental health and substance use, while accounting for broader contextual influences (e.g. neighborhood resources, educational environments) and individual characteristics (e.g., prior behavioral concerns, socioeconomic characteristics), (2) Assess the role of early adversity in shaping the associations between school discipline and adolescent health outcomes; and (3) Evaluate the interactive effects of neurobiological functioning and early adversity on the associations between school discipline and youth health outcomes. Findings from this work will contribute to a broader understanding of how modifiable school-related risk factors, such as school discipline, and contextual experiences influence adolescent health. This award will support training in developmental neuroscience, advanced statistical modeling, and the integration of schoolbased influences on adolescent development. The proposed research builds on prior training in clinical and developmental psychology and will support the establishment of an independent research program focused on promoting adolescent health and well-being through modifiable educational experiences.