Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Arrest: The Role of Individual, Home, School, and Community Characteristics

Abstract

Contact with the justice system can lead to a range of poor health and social outcomes. While persons of color are disproportionately represented in both the juvenile and criminal justice systems, reasons for these patters remain unclear. This study sought to examine the extent and sources of differences in arrests during adolescence and young adulthood among blacks, whites, and Hispanics in the USA. Multilevel cross-sectional logistic regression analyses were conducted using data from waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 12,752 respondents). Results showed significantly higher likelihood of having ever been arrested among blacks, when compared to whites, even after controlling for a range of delinquent behaviors (odds ratio = 1.58, 95 % confidence interval = 1.27, 1.95). These black–white disparities were no longer present after accounting for racial composition of the neighborhood, supporting the growing body of research demonstrating the importance of contextual variables in driving disproportionate minority contact with the justice system.

Racial Disparities in Arrests: A Race Specific Model Explaining Arrest Rates Across Black and White Young Adults

“…An important factor when considering racial disparities in arrests is the environmental and social contexts surrounding each population. The Social Disorganization Theory suggests that social context and environments can look differently among Black and White individuals, and these differences could contribute to the disproportionate arrest rates rather than inherent racial differences (Gase et al, 2016). Socioeconomic disadvantage amongst communities, in part created through residential segregation, disrupts family relationships, creates social isolation and instability within the community, and limits access to resources, which lead to "deviant behaviors" (Gase et al, 2016, p. 297).…”

“…The theories/hypotheses that will be discussed in this paper seek to explain arrest disparities with focuses on different factors: The Social Disorganization Theory, the Differential Involvement Hypothesis, and the Differential Selection and Processing Hypothesis (Sampson & Groves, 1989;Piquero, 2008). Although the documented racial disparities in arrests are clear, the cause of these disparities remains unclear, and support has been found for each of the competing theories/hypotheses complicating our understanding of what is the cause (e.g., Gase et al, 2016;Sampson & Groves, 1989;Piquero, 2008). Broadly, the factors each theory examines to account for disparities in arrests can be labeled as either "warranted" or "unwarranted" (Gase et al, 2016).…”

“…Although the documented racial disparities in arrests are clear, the cause of these disparities remains unclear, and support has been found for each of the competing theories/hypotheses complicating our understanding of what is the cause (e.g., Gase et al, 2016;Sampson & Groves, 1989;Piquero, 2008). Broadly, the factors each theory examines to account for disparities in arrests can be labeled as either "warranted" or "unwarranted" (Gase et al, 2016). "Warranted factors", include behaviors related…”

“…to criminal involvement that are legally relevant and arrest is justifiable (Gase et al, 2016). "Unwarranted factors" are factors that lead to arrest and are not explained by legally relevant variables, for example, racial bias in the justice system (Spohn, 2000).…”

Do college students’ perceptions of the police differ by education level and major?

“…In a study looking at the differences in arrests during adolescence and young adulthood among Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics in the United States, the findings revealed that blacks had a significantly higher likelihood of being arrested compared to whites. Neighborhood composition (the percent of white residents in the neighborhood) was the primary driver of racial/ethnic differences in arrests (Gase, L. N., Glenn, B. A., Gomez, L. M., Kuo, T., Inkelas, M., & Ponce, N. A., 2016).…”