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Faculty Selected Works of Lee Slocum
Article
From School Halls to Shopping Malls: Multilevel Predictors of Police Contact In and Out of School
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (2022)
  • Stephanie A. Wiley, University of Missouri–St. Louis
  • Lee Slocum, University of Missouri-St. Louis
  • Finn-Aage Esbensen, University of Missouri–St. Louis
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Abstract
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.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2022
DOI
10.1177/00224278221096985
Citation Information
Stephanie A. Wiley, Lee Slocum and Finn-Aage Esbensen. "From School Halls to Shopping Malls: Multilevel Predictors of Police Contact In and Out of School" Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (2022)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/lee-slocum/50/