NCJ Number
164540
Date Published
1996
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This study explored the relationship of race to disposition decisionmaking processes for a sample of adjudicated delinquent girls.
Abstract
Data were obtained from the investigation reports of adjudicated delinquent girls on probation in one area office of the Los Angeles County Probation Department. Data were collected from July 1992 through March 1993. There were 198 girls on probation, with a total of 244 investigation reports. Each report represents one formal contact with the juvenile court. Disposition recommendations were coded as informal probation, formal probation, and institutional placement. Log linear analysis was used to examine the main relationships between race, prior record, disposition recommendation, and demeanor. The analysis was supplemented with chi-square tests of significance to explore the relationship between race and class and the relationships between race, class, and type of placement setting. The study hypothesized that there would be clear and significant relationships between race and disposition recommendations, with Latina and especially African-American girls being treated more punitively than white girls. It also hypothesized that demeanor would enter in as an interactive variable, being significantly related to both disposition recommendation and race. The log linear analysis showed no overall pattern of racial bias in the disposition of delinquent girls; however, the findings add credence to claims of differential placement by race of delinquent girls, as they show a clear disparity between treatment compared to detention placement recommendations. The study provides strong support for the argument that only by examining the interactive effects of race, class, and gender can there be an accurate understanding of the multiple and contradictory experiences of delinquent girls. 5 tables, 8 notes, and 40 references