Biography
Dr. Charles Bell is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences. He is a recipient of the Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship from the American Society of Criminology. His research explores African American students' and parents' perceptions of out-of-school suspension, school safety measures, and law enforcement officers throughout Michigan and Illinois. Dr. Bell's research builds upon the street code theory and shows out-of-school suspension exacerbates bullying and violent physical altercations on school grounds. His work also confirms Black students and their parents harbor negative perceptions of out-of-school suspension, students feel targeted for school removal based on their style dress, hair, and music preference, and frequent out-of-school suspension functions as a precursor to Black educational flight. Dr. Bell has been interviewed and cited by several news outlets such as Atlanta Black Star, The Conversation, WGLT, WDET Detroit, Aljazeera America, Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, and Detroit PBS.
Current Courses
200.003Contemporary Corrections
499.005Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
287.015Independent Study
400.005Independent Study
308.001Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice
308.002Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice
291.014Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Criminal Justice Scienc
Journal Article, Academic Journal
Bell, C. Maybe if they let us tell the story I wouldn’t have gotten suspended: Understanding Black Students’ and Parents’ Perceptions of School Discipline. Children and Youth Services Review (2020)
Bell, C. The Code of the School: Discipline, Respect, and Survival in Primarily Black High Schools. Journal of Crime and Justice (2019)
Bell, C. Special Needs Under Siege: From Classrooms to Incarceration. Sociology Compass (2016): 698-705.
Bell, C. The Hidden Side of Zero Tolerance Policies: The African American Perspective. Sociology Compass (2015): 14-22.
Journal Article, Professional Journal
Bell, C. School Personnel Training Efforts in Child Psychopharmacology. Journal of Assessment and Evaluation (2015): 43-50.
Newsletter
Bell, C. Poverty to PhD: An Insider Account on Structural Barriers That Affect Impoverished Students of Color. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Newsletter 4 (2018): 26-28.
Bell, C. Race & Policing: A Legacy of Exclusion, Profiling, and Oppression. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Newsletter (2017): 71-75.
Newspaper
Bell, C. School suspensions don’t stop violence – they help students celebrate it. The Conversation (2019)
Presentations
Exploring Black Students' and Parents' Perceptions of School Safety Measures. Society for the Study of Social Problems. (2019)
School Discipline Reform. School Discipline and Mass Incarceration Reform. Kalamazoo College. (2019)
The Code of the School: Discipline, Respect, and Survival in Primarily Black High Schools. Midwest Sociological Society. Illinois State University. (2019)
The Hidden Consequences of School Punishment: An Insider's Perspective. Culturally Responsive Campus Community. Illinois State University. (2019)
Beyond the Bars: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Incarcerated Individuals & Prison Reform Solutions. Facing Race Conference. Race Forward. (2018)
Exploring the School-to-Prison-Pipeline & Parent Rights. Oakland County Parent Expo. Oakland County Black Male Taskforce. (2018)
Opportunities Denied: Advancing Conceptualization of Black School Discipline Disproportionality. American Society of Criminology. (2017)
Grants & Contracts
Midwest Sociological Society Research Grant. Midwest Sociological Society. Other. (2019)
Student Sustainability Research Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)
Summer Research Initiative Grant. African American Studies. Illinois State University. (2019)
Teaching Innovation Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)
University Research Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)
