Labels for Some: Long-term Consequences of Police Encounters and Arrests for African American and White Youth

• In Event: Racial Disparities in Treatment of Youth

Abstract

Labeling theorists have warned that police encounters with youth might increase youths’ deviant behavior. According to recent empirical work, such interactions may decrease opportunities for youth to engage in pro-social activities and increase the chance of engaging in delinquent behaviors. Attempting to fill a gap in the literature, this project examines whether police encounters have different long-term impacts on African American and white youths’ behavior and young adult arrest. The paper uses longitudinal data from 331 African American and White youth enrolled in the Seattle Public School District as 8th graders. Results suggest that police encounters have no identifiable long-term impact on white youths’ behavior or subsequent criminal justice involvement. However, for African American youth encounters increase the odds of illegal behaviors nearly 6 years later. Additionally, African American youth who experience contact by the 8th grade have a 13 times greater odds of experiencing arrest when they are 20 years old compared to their non-contacted African American peers, even while holding constant self-reported criminal behavior. The current study highlights the need for additional research on racial differences in impacts of policing practices and cautions that programs that increase exposure to police may have negative impacts for youth of color.

Authors

• Anne McGlynn-Wright, University of Washington

• Robert Crutchfield, University of Washington

• Martie Skinner, University of Washington

• Kevin P. Haggerty, University of Washington