Understanding the Causes of Disproportionate Minority Contact: Perspectives of System Actors

• In Event: The Ohio Disproportionate Minority Contact Assessment: Examining Emerging Topics

Abstract

Historically, explanations of disproportionate minority contact have centered on differential offending and differential treatment perspectives. More recently, however, scholars urge that future research move beyond the debate of “which explanation matters more” (Piquero, 2008) and focus on how both processing and offending differences contribute to disproportionate minority contact. In particular, research must examine the far-reaching consequences of factors such as neighborhood context, family functioning and involvement, and access to social and community resources, while also accounting for possible system factors. In response, this study draws on focus groups with local police agencies (N=17), observations from juvenile court hearings (N=133), and qualitative interviews with juvenile justice officials (N=129) to understand how familial, educational, environmental, and system-level characteristics influence processing decisions and outcomes for minority youth. Additionally, the current study will discuss potential strategies to address DMC drawn from the perspectives of key personnel.

Authors

• Hannah Denise McManus, University of Cincinnati

• Stephanie N. Spiegel, University of Cincinnati

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati