The Enduring Significance of Racism: Discrimination and Delinquency Among Black American Youth

Abstract

Prominent explanations of the overrepresentation of Black Americans in criminal justice statistics focus on the effects of neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, racial isolation, and social disorganization. We suggest that perceived personal discrimination is an important but frequently neglected complement to these factors. We test this hypothesis with longitudinal data on involvement in general and violent juvenile delinquency in a sample of Black youth from a variety of communities in 2 states. We examine the direct effects of concentrated disadvantage and racial isolation and the direct and mediating effects of social organization, support for violence, and personal discrimination. Consistent with our hypothesis, perceived personal discrimination has notable direct effects on both general and violent delinquency and is an important mediator between neighborhood structural conditions and offending; moreover, its effects exceed those associated with neighborhood conditions.

Drivers of human development: How relationships and context shape learning and development1

“…The stresses created by the experience of racial aggressions and microaggressions can embed in a child. They can affect children's and adolescents' perceptions of themselves and others and how they deal with what they feel and experience (e.g., Martin et al, 2011). Still, many children and their families demonstrate instrumental and psychological resilience by building on individual, family, and cultural strengths (Spencer, 2007).…”

“…Children (and adults) adapt to hostile environments in ways that can undermine learning and support their involvement in unhealthy or high-risk behaviors (Crick & Dodge, 1994;Martin et al, 2011). However, the principles developed in the companion article on malleability and plasticity suggest the power of developmentally constructive environments to promote resilience as well as positive developmental and learning outcomes (e.g., Masten & Coatsworth, 1998).…”

Interpersonal Racial Discrimination, Ethnic-racial Socialization, and Offending: Risk and Resilience among African American Females

“…Although a few studies include both sexes (e.g. Martin et al, 2011;Simons et al, 2003), at present no study has examined these processes among a sample of females. Addressing this gap is important given the fact not only that African American females deserve attention in their own right as worthy objects of study, but that evidence suggests that racial discrimination is gendered and therefore may gender behavioral responses (e.g.…”

“…At least 13 recent studies document a link between individual experiences with racial discrimination and concurrent or subsequent offending. These studies find that interpersonal racial discrimination is associated with self-reported conduct problems (Brody, et al, 2006;DuBois, Burk-Braxton, Swenson, Tevendale, & Hardesty, 2002;Nyborg & Curry, 2003;Simons & Burt, 2011;Simons et al, 2003), violence (Caldwell, Kohn-Wood, Schmeelk-Cone, Chavous, & Zimmerman, 2004;Simons, Simons, & Burt, 2006;Stewart & Simons, 2006), delinquency (Burt et al, 2012;Martin, et al, 2011;Unnever, Cullen, Mathers, McClure, & Allison, 2009), and official reports of arrest (McCord & Ensminger, 1997. A number of different measures of discrimination are used, but all ask the respondents to report whether they have experienced one or more negative acts because, from their perspective, they are black.…”

Do Child Physical Abuse and Adolescent Peer Relationships Influence Typologies of Illegal and Substance-Use Behaviors During Emerging Adulthood?

“…Another limitation of the Connell et al study was that race/ethnicity was not included as a covariate in the analysis because Caucasian youth constituted 83% of the sample. This nonrepresentative sample was especially problematic because both research and crime statistics indicate Black youth have an elevated risk of illegal behaviors (Franke, 2000;Martin et al, 2011).…”