The Individual and Joint Effects of Race, Gender, and Family Status on Juvenile Justice Decision-making

Relying on interpretations of the symbolic threat thesis as a theoretical framework, in particular the emphasis on the perceptions of decision-makers and stereotyping, the authors examine the extent to which the effects of race on youth justice outcomes are influenced by gender and family status. They are especially interested in the individual and joint effects among the three. Although some studies in the adult literature have examined these variables, research on the influence of race, gender, and family status on juvenile justice decision-making is lacking. The inquiry is on four juvenile court jurisdictions in Iowa. The results from logistic regressions indicate that being African American affects justice outcomes, outcomes for Whites are conditioned by gender and family status, and decision-making should be viewed as a process involving both severe and lenient outcomes.