NCJ Number
238348
Date Published
2012
Length
182 pages
Annotation
This book, Juvenile Arrest in America: Race, Social Class, and Gang Membership, examines how arrest patterns for American youth are affected by race, social class, and gang membership.
Abstract
The book presents the results of a study that examined how juvenile arrest rates in America are affected by three specific factors: race, social class, and gang membership. The information in the book is presented in eight chapters. Chapter 1 presents an introduction and background information on how race, social class, and delinquent subculture interact to affect arrest patterns for American juveniles. Chapter 2 examines the three primary methodological approaches used in previous research to study juvenile arrest patterns. These methods are use of official records, police contacts with youth, and survey data. Chapter 3 explores the role that gang membership has in the life of young people. Chapter 4 discusses the research design used to evaluate the effects of legal and social variables on juvenile arrest rates. Chapter 5 examines how labeling theory and racial minority status can be effectively used to study juvenile arrest patterns. The findings indicate that racial minority status (RMS) is more pronounced for arrest patterns of Black youth than Hispanic youth. Chapter 6 examines how socioeconomic status (SES) and race interact to affect arrest patterns for juveniles. The findings indicate that race matters in arrest decisions for youth from high-income backgrounds, and that it affects arrest rates differently for Black and Hispanic youth. Chapter 7 explores how gang membership affects arrest patterns for juveniles. The findings indicate that gang members have a higher risk of arrest than non-gang members, and that SES and gang membership overlap with RMS to affect arrest patterns. Chapter 8 discusses the findings of the study in more detail. Tables, figures, appendixes, and bibliography