Risk and protective factors among African American adolescent males that predict adult involvement in the criminal justice system: Evidence from a national sample

Citation

Stevens-Watkins, Danelle & Graves, Scott L. (2011). Risk and protective factors among African American adolescent males that predict adult involvement in the criminal justice system: Evidence from a national sample. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice. vol. 9 (2) pp. 136-151

Abstract

The current study examined risk and protective factors in adolescence that predicted involvement in the criminal justice system among young adult African American men. Participants (n = 2,274) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were adolescents (11–19 years, M = 15) at Wave 1 and young adults (18–27, M = 22) at Wave 3. We examined how racial differences in social environments (e.g., socioeconomic status, parental supervision, parental quality time, religiosity, peer substance use, and academic achievement) during adolescence predict involvement in the criminal justice system in young adulthood. Results revealed peer substance use as a risk factor, and religiosity and academic achievement as both protective factors against later involvement in the criminal justice system. Implication are discussed in regard to understanding the types of preventative services that may prove to decrease the number of African American young adult men involved in the criminal justice system.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F15377938.2011.566816

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice

Author(s)

Stevens-Watkins, Danelle
Graves, Scott L.

Year Published

2011

Volume Number

9

Issue Number

2

Pages

136-151

ISSN/ISBN

1537-7938

DOI

10.1080/15377938.2011.566816

Reference ID

1372