Does Ethnic Context Influence Ethnic Differences in Juvenile Court Processing? A Test of Ethnic and Immigrant Threat Hypotheses

Abstract

According to the minority threat perspective, racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system can be linked to the size of the minority population in the larger surrounding community. In the juvenile justice system, it is suggested that a larger minority population will be associated with greater punitive treatment, especially of minority defendants. While minority threat has received considerable attention in prior research, much of this work has focused on racial threat (i.e., Black/White). Few juvenile justice studies have tested the ethnic threat hypothesis, and no study has examined the influence of immigrant threat on juvenile court outcomes. To address this gap, the present study examines whether ethnic and immigrant threat at the county level are associated with more punitive juvenile court outcomes, and whether ethnic and immigrant threat amplify ethnic disparities in those outcomes. Findings offered limited support for the study hypotheses. First, ethnic and immigrant threat were both positively and significantly associated with odds of detention, but negatively associated with petition, and had no association with adjudication and disposition outcomes. Second, ethnic and immigrant threat did not moderate ethnic differences in juvenile court outcomes. The implications of the findings for theory, research, and policy are discussed.