No abstract

This cross-sectional research investigates social determinants of psychological distress among adult males, with a specific emphasis on African Americans. Despite a sizable body of literature indicating that members of the African American community hold less favorable attitudes toward criminal justice, including the police and court system, than do Caucasians, hardly any empirical examinations have investigated the psychological ramifications of this discontent. Utilizing a sample of 377 adult male respondents from the 1998 General Social Survey, results reveal that the effect of being an adult African American male conditions the impact of (1) socioeconomic status and (2) confidence in the courts and legal systems on psychological distress.

Perceptions of school safety, fear of crime among students, and school avoidance have received increasing research attention in recent decades. Feeling unsafe at school impacts mental health, absenteeism, and academic success. We focus on a behavioral indicator of heightened concern about safety among high school students. Using 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, we examine how crime victimization, bullying, drug use, weapon carrying, defensibility, media exposure, social integration, and school disorder affect school avoidance. Complementary log-log regression results indicate differences in predictors across sex, race/ethnicity, and class year. Implications for policy and future research on school avoidance are discussed.