The Effects of Adolescent Involvement in Crime and Arrest on Young Adult Health

• In Event: Juveniles and Mental Illness

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of adolescent involvement in crime and low level criminal justice contact on young adult health. Although an established body of research finds that incarceration increases the likelihood of a variety of health issues later in life, no research has assessed lesser, more common forms of criminal justice contact such as arrest. However, while the stress or economic consequences of arrest may influence physical health, involvement in delinquency itself produces stress, and thus potentially, health problems. Some studies find evidence of a relationship between involvement in crime and poor health, but few have assessed this association in a nationally representative, longitudinal sample with repeated measures beginning in early childhood through young adulthood and a robust set of control variables. This study aims to fill these gaps using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.

Author

• Brianna Remster, Villanova University