SOC445

This course will explore how violence involving young people --whether in the form of bullying, peer aggression, or school shootings-- does not occur in a vacuum, but is shaped by broader forces including school culture, neighborhood dynamics, family systems, and media environments. We will also critically examine how institutions like the juvenile justice system and law enforcement respond to youth violence, and the ways in which these responses can sometimes deepen inequality. Together, we will ask: How do schools function not only as places of learning but also as sites of discipline, exclusion, and sometimes harm? What are the unintended consequences of zero-tolerance policies and increased school surveillance? How do race, class, gender, and sexuality shape which youth are labeled as dangerous or deviant? By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of the social drivers of youth violence and be better equipped to think critically about justice --both punitive and restorative-- as it relates to young people in institutional settings.