Explore Dr. Barbarin’s Books
Racism and poverty cause unspeakable hardship for Black boys, often reflected in misbehavior masking sadness, fear, and anger. Black boys appear to grow up too fast, denied the presumption of innocence and impeded by hyper-masculine socialization. In Building Emotional Resilience in Black Boys, Oscar A. Barbarin explores why some succumb to this pain while others overcome it. He provides strategies for families, schools, and communities to build emotional resilience, emphasizing self-awareness, social awareness, and self-control. Barbarin reveals how supportive adults can help Black boys cope with loss, mitigate racism’s impact, and flourish socially.
The book Smart Discipline examines exclusionary discipline in schools and offers practical guidance on creating inclusive, supportive environments for students and families.
Years of extensive research have gone into this work, and to make it as accessible as possible, we offer individual chapters for a small fee. You can also choose to purchase the complete book, available on this page and in the shop.
Description
Oscar A. Barbarin, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, developmental scientist, and school mental health consultant. Dr. Barbarin’s life work has centered on children at risk for socio-emotional and academic problems. He has been a professor of Psychology, African American Studies, and Social Work. He served as the Director of its University of Michigan Center for Child and Family and later as the Executive Director of its South Africa Initiative Office. Smart Discipline, written by Dr. Oscar Barbarin and colleagues, offers a comprehensive analysis of the discipline policies adopted by each state in the U.S., highlighting effective alternatives for managing behavior problems in schools. By exploring various approaches, Dr. Barbarin reveals that the most promising methods often blend closer student-staff relationships with dynamic, engaging instruction.
Chapter 1 – Discipline Yes, Exclusion No
State policies on exclusionary discipline are reviewed, highlighting challenges and alternatives like restorative practices to address student behavior post-COVID-19.
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Chapter 2 – Do Federal policies on school discipline matter?
Racial disparities in exclusionary discipline are analyzed, focusing on federal policy’s impact in reducing these practices and protecting student rights
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Chapter 3 – Bans Reduce Exclusion and racial disparities
The effectiveness of exclusion bans is analyzed, revealing reductions in suspensions for Black boys but limited impact on expulsions, arrests, or overall disparities.
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Chapter 4 – Changing Mindsets: From Exclusion to Support
A shift from punitive discipline to proactive approaches focuses on strategies like Socio-Emotional Learning, Positive Behavior Interventions, and Restorative Practices to address the root causes of misbehavior and support emotional well-being.
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Chapter 5 – Alternatives to Suspension that Work
This chapter explores how approaches like Restorative Practices and PBIS aim to reduce suspensions and expulsions, revealing mixed results in their effectiveness and minimal impact on racial disparities in school discipline.
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Chapter 6 – Restorative Communication
Restorative Practices (RP) are explored as a discipline alternative focused on repairing harm and preventing misbehavior through empathy, active listening, and student involvement, though their impact on reducing racial disparities remains uncertain.
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Chapter 7 – Restorative Practices and School Buy-in, Support, and Sustainability
Comprehensive Restorative Practices (RP) are explored as a means to address discipline gaps, offering guidance on overcoming implementation barriers, fostering schoolwide buy-in, and ensuring long-term sustainability to support marginalized students.
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Chapter 8 – Scaling Up Cultural Responsiveness Training
The Double Check Program is described as a coaching model that enhances teachers’ culturally responsive practices to reduce disciplinary disparities and increase academic engagement through reflective approaches and positive interactions.
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Chapter 9 – The key to smart Discipline: A humane/inspiring staff
Humane leadership and inspiring teaching are highlighted as crucial elements for smart discipline, focusing on compassion, fairness, and quality instruction to support diverse students, especially Black boys, while addressing behavior challenges and reducing racial disparities in school discipline.
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Chapter 10 – Districts where exclusionary discipline disappeared
Three California school districts are described for their successful implementation of policies that reduce exclusionary discipline for Black students, focusing on their motivations, pedagogical approaches, and the supportive environments they created.
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Chapter 11 – How exclusion disappeared: The journey of three districts
Educational leaders from three California districts share their experiences overcoming challenges to reduce exclusionary discipline, offering unique insights and practical guidance on fostering inclusive practices that can inspire other schools nationwide.
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Chapter 12 – Tips for using restorative practices with black boys and youth
The unique challenges Black boys face in restorative practices are discussed, focusing on trauma, economic hardship, and racism, along with strategies for school staff to overcome these obstacles and effectively implement RP
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