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Differential Associations Between Legal System Contact and Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino, Black, and White Youth.

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Title: Differential Associations Between Legal System Contact and Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino, Black, and White Youth.
Authors: Simmons, Cortney (AUTHOR), Randolph, Imani (AUTHOR), Sbeglia, Colleen (AUTHOR), Frick, Paul J. (AUTHOR), Steinberg, Laurence (AUTHOR), Cauffman, Elizabeth (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. May/Jun2026, Vol. 55 Issue 3, p457-471. 15p.
Subjects: Mental depression, Anxiety, Justice administration, Hispanic American youth, Black youth, Juvenile justice administration, White youth, Internalizing behavior
Abstract: Objective: Youth who enter the legal system exhibit higher rates of mental illness than their peers. It remains unclear whether continued legal system contact exacerbates these issues, especially among Latino and Black youth who are disproportionately involved. This study examined the associations between various forms of legal system contact, anxiety, and depression among Latino, Black, and White justice-involved youth over three years following their first arrest. We hypothesized that system contact would predict increases in anxiety and depression symptoms across all youth, with a stronger effect among Latino and Black youth. Method: Data were used from 1,160 male youth (48.24% Latino, 36.77% Black, 14.99% White; Mage = 15.27) in the Crossroads Study. Youth were recruited post-first arrest and interviewed biannually for three years. Between-within models were estimated separately for each racial/ethnic group to assess whether continued system contact (police stop, re-arrest, probation, detention) was linked to higher anxiety and depression levels (between-person) and whether contact predicted individual-level increases in these symptoms (within-person). Results: At the between-person level, Black youth stopped by police exhibited higher depression levels than those not stopped. Latino youth placed in detention exhibited higher anxiety levels than those not detained. At the within-person level, among Latino youth, probation was linked to increased anxiety and re-arrest to increased depression. Among Black youth, detention was linked to increased anxiety. System contact was not associated with internalizing symptoms among White youth. Conclusion: Legal system contact is associated with adverse mental health outcomes, particularly for Latino and Black youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Differential Associations Between Legal System Contact and Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino, Black, and White Youth.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simmons%2C+Cortney%22">Simmons, Cortney</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Randolph%2C+Imani%22">Randolph, Imani</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sbeglia%2C+Colleen%22">Sbeglia, Colleen</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Frick%2C+Paul+J%2E%22">Frick, Paul J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Steinberg%2C+Laurence%22">Steinberg, Laurence</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cauffman%2C+Elizabeth%22">Cauffman, Elizabeth</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Clinical+Child+%26+Adolescent+Psychology%22">Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology</searchLink>. May/Jun2026, Vol. 55 Issue 3, p457-471. 15p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+depression%22">Mental depression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anxiety%22">Anxiety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Justice+administration%22">Justice administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hispanic+American+youth%22">Hispanic American youth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Black+youth%22">Black youth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Juvenile+justice+administration%22">Juvenile justice administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22White+youth%22">White youth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internalizing+behavior%22">Internalizing behavior</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: Youth who enter the legal system exhibit higher rates of mental illness than their peers. It remains unclear whether continued legal system contact exacerbates these issues, especially among Latino and Black youth who are disproportionately involved. This study examined the associations between various forms of legal system contact, anxiety, and depression among Latino, Black, and White justice-involved youth over three years following their first arrest. We hypothesized that system contact would predict increases in anxiety and depression symptoms across all youth, with a stronger effect among Latino and Black youth. Method: Data were used from 1,160 male youth (48.24% Latino, 36.77% Black, 14.99% White; Mage = 15.27) in the Crossroads Study. Youth were recruited post-first arrest and interviewed biannually for three years. Between-within models were estimated separately for each racial/ethnic group to assess whether continued system contact (police stop, re-arrest, probation, detention) was linked to higher anxiety and depression levels (between-person) and whether contact predicted individual-level increases in these symptoms (within-person). Results: At the between-person level, Black youth stopped by police exhibited higher depression levels than those not stopped. Latino youth placed in detention exhibited higher anxiety levels than those not detained. At the within-person level, among Latino youth, probation was linked to increased anxiety and re-arrest to increased depression. Among Black youth, detention was linked to increased anxiety. System contact was not associated with internalizing symptoms among White youth. Conclusion: Legal system contact is associated with adverse mental health outcomes, particularly for Latino and Black youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/15374416.2025.2534940
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Mental depression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anxiety
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Justice administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hispanic American youth
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      – SubjectFull: Black youth
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      – SubjectFull: Juvenile justice administration
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      – SubjectFull: White youth
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      – SubjectFull: Internalizing behavior
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Differential Associations Between Legal System Contact and Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino, Black, and White Youth.
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            NameFull: Simmons, Cortney
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              M: 05
              Text: May/Jun2026
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              Y: 2026
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