Prior research on race/ethnicity and juvenile court processing have found that youth of color often receive disadvantaged outcomes compared to their White counterparts, and that community context may condition this relationship. The current study examined this association between race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic) and type of drug offense (possession vs. distribution) with adjudication and disposition outcomes, especially the tempering effect of disadvantaged community characteristics. Results from multi-level models indicated that Black youth who were charged with a drug distribution offense were more likely to receive residential placement compared to similarly situated Whites. Underclass poverty and racial/ethnic inequality moderated these associations, but the significance and direction of the results differed depending on the stage examined. The findings reveal ongoing racial/ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system, and offer clearer insights into the conditions under which youth of color charged with different drug offenses are processed in juvenile court.

中文翻译：

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少年法庭的禁毒战争？社区环境对白人、黑人和西班牙裔青少年少年法庭结果的影响


先前关于种族/民族和少年法庭处理的研究发现，与白人相比，有色人种青少年经常获得不利的结果，而社区环境可能会制约这种关系。目前的研究检查了种族/民族（白人、黑人、西班牙裔）和毒品犯罪类型（持有与分配）与裁决和处置结果之间的这种关联，尤其是弱势社区特征的调节作用。多级模型的结果表明，与处境相似的白人相比，被指控犯有毒品分销罪的黑人青年更有可能接受住宿安置。下层阶级贫困和种族/民族不平等调节了这些关联，但结果的意义和方向因研究的阶段而异。研究结果揭示了少年司法系统中持续存在的种族/民族差异，并更清楚地了解被指控犯有不同毒品罪的有色人种青少年在少年法庭上受到处理的条件。