Out-of-school suspension from primary school and early contact with police

This study examined associations between out-of-school suspension from primary school and early contact with police (by the age of about 14 years). Longitudinal data from the New South Wales Child Development Study were used to determine the prevalence, pattern and association of suspension and police contact among 68,121 children. The odds of suspended children experiencing any contact were three times those of non-suspended children (controlling for multiple covariates) and the odds of contact as a person of interest were six times those of non suspended students. Dose response relationships were evident with increasing suspension severity. Systemic intersectoral reform to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by enacting effective alternatives to suspension is required.