Advisory Committee Chair
Sylvie Mrug
Advisory Committee Members
Caroline Richter
Christopher Henrich
Jeffery Walker
Lindsay Leban
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
The high rate of incarceration in the United States presents a public issue that affects individuals, families, and communities. Empirical research has identified several adolescent risk factors linked to an increased likelihood of incarceration in adulthood, such as individual delinquency, peer delinquency, parental antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder. However, much less is known about factors that might promote or protect against incarceration specifically. Factors associated with a reduced likelihood of delinquent behavior (a precursor to incarceration) include higher empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness. These factors may similarly reduce the risk of incarceration, just as they reduce the risk of delinquency. Additionally, there may be racial and sex differences in how risk, promotive, and protective factors relate to incarceration. Thus, this paper will focus on examining individual delinquency, peer delinquency, parental antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder as risk factors as well as empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness as potential promotive and protective factors. Race and sex differences are also examined. This study included 603 adolescents (52% male, 78% Black, 20% White, 2% Other) who participated in the Birmingham Youth Violence Study (BYVS) at four time points between 2003 and 2022 (T1-T4, Mean age = 12, 13, 18, 27). Results suggest that individual delinquency, parent antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder in early adolescence were risk factors for incarceration in adulthood but not peer delinquent behaviors. Empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness did not emerge as promotive or protective factors. The racial differences analyses suggest that peer delinquency increases the risk of incarceration for White youth at a higher rate than it does for racial/ethnic minority youth. There were no sex differences. This dissertation furthers our understanding of risk factors in early adolescence in relation to incarceration in adulthood and clarifies the status of empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness during adolescence as potential promotive and protective factors in adulthood.
Recommended Citation
Espinoza, Carlos, "Risk, Promotive, And Protective Factors In Adolescence For Incarceration In Adulthood: A 20 Year Longitudinal Study" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6834.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6834
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