Seeking safety in a ‘code’

Abstract

Although metal detectors, guards, and law enforcement officers are intended to protect students and maintain a safe educational environment, the actual effectiveness of such measures is unclear, especially when it comes to protecting Black students. Charles Bell interviewed Black students from urban and suburban schools across Michigan and learned that they did not feel safe at school. The absence of reliable safety measures at school leads students to rely on a “code” that provides protection in school by encouraging students to fight to demonstrate their toughness, win respect, and form alliances to ensure group safety. Among other things, the code of the school transforms suspension into a status symbol that undermines school authority, potentially increases school violence, and leads to the criminalization of Black students.