2022/05/09 by Stephanie A. Wiley, Lee Ann Slocum, Finn‐Aage Esbensen +1 · 8 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Consistency (knowledge bases) #Demographics #Demography #Education Discipline and Inequality #Gun Ownership and Violence Research #Multilevel model #Multinomial logistic regression #Political science #Psychology #Sanctions #Social psychology #Sociology #Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/00224278221096985
published in Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 60(5), 623-663 (SAGE Publishing)
crossref issued 2022/05/09 · crossref published 2022/05/09 · crossref published-online 2022/05/09 · openalex publication_date 2022/05/09 · crossref created 2022/05/10 · crossref published-print 2023/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/04/30 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Objectives: Individual- and school-level factors associated with youth being stopped, searched, or arrested in school are identified. Correlates of community-based contact are also examined. Methods: Longitudinal student surveys and corresponding school-level data come from 21 middle and high schools in 6 districts in St. Louis County, Missouri. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression was used to assess factors related to a three-category dependent variable, distinguishing youth with: (1) no police contact, (2) in-school contact, and (3) out-of-school contact. Independent variables capture student-level demographics, behavior, experiences, and perceptions and school-level characteristics and practices. Results: Factors associated with in-school contact include substance use, peer associations, prior contact, and prior school sanctions. Odds of school-based contact also increase when youth are less aware of school rules and perceive greater disorder. Among school-level characteristics, only officers responding to school problems is significantly associated with in-school contact. Conclusions: There is some consistency in individual-level factors associated with police contact across locations, particularly related to prior sanctions, but findings highlight potential mechanisms that vary across contexts. This study also provides evidence that some schoolwide responses may contribute to youth's likelihood of having police contact in school, but solutions should consider the fluidity of contact in schools and communities.