Search Results

Title: Gang Membership and Race as Risk Factors for Juvenile Arrest
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Tapia, Michael
Gang Membership and Race as Risk Factors for Juvenile Arrest
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 48,3 (August 2011): 364-395.
Also: http://jrc.sagepub.com/content/48/3/364
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Sage Publications
Keyword(s): Arrests; Black Youth; Crime; Criminal Justice System; Delinquency/Gang Activity; Hispanic Youth; Racial Differences

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

This study addresses the link between gang membership and arrest frequency, exploring the Gang × Race interaction on those arrests. The focus on youth’s earliest point of contact with the juvenile justice system corresponds to the latest priority of the federal initiative on Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC). Using Poisson regression to analyze longitudinal data on a representative sample of U.S. teens, results support both main effects and interaction hypotheses. Gang membership, racial minority status, and their interaction each increase the risk of arrest, controlling for other demographic and legal items. Results suggest that bias against these groups is most pronounced with less serious crimes. Main effects for Black youth are stronger than for Hispanic youth, underscoring the importance of conducting tests for each minority group separately. Interactions for Black and Hispanic gang youth are equally robust, suggesting they warrant similar priority in policy initiatives to reduce DMC.
Bibliography Citation
Tapia, Michael. "Gang Membership and Race as Risk Factors for Juvenile Arrest ." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 48,3 (August 2011): 364-395.