Examining Juvenile Court Outcomes for Retail Offenders: An Examination of Offense Type, Sex, and Race

• In Event: Identifying Risk Factors and Justice System Responses to Delinquent Behavior(s) Among Youth

Abstract

Retail offending is one of the most prevalent forms of deviant behavior among juveniles. Despite the frequency of this offense, limited literature has examined how retail offenses are addressed by the juvenile justice system. This gap is surprising considering that retail offending may be the gateway in which many juveniles first come into contact with formal social control agents. To address this void, the current study uses data from all juvenile petitions in a Northeast state from 2004-2014 to examine how retail offenses differ from other offense types at major decision points (petition, adjudication, and disposition). Furthermore, the individual and joint effects of sex and race will be examined to determine whether outcomes are tempered by certain extralegal factors. Results have the potential to inform researchers, practitioners, and policymakers regarding the processing of juvenile retail offenders, as well as providing insight into how juvenile characteristics influence decision-making by juvenile courts.

Authors

• Richard L. Elligson, Jr., University of Central Florida

• Jennifer H. Peck, University of Central Florida