Browsing by Author "Lau, Katherine S.L."

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    Perceived Police Injustice, Moral Disengagement, and Aggression Among Juvenile Offenders: Utilizing the General Strain Theory Model
    (Springer Nature, 2018-04) Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Banks, Devin E.; Lau, Katherine S.L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Psychology, School of Science
    Although many juvenile offenders report experiencing police injustice, few studies have examined how this source of strain may impact youths' behavioral outcomes, including risk for future recidivism. This study begins to address that gap in the literature. We applied the general strain theory as our theoretical framework to examine the interactive effect of perceived police injustice and moral disengagement on juvenile aggressive behavior. Our sample included 95 juvenile offenders who completed questionnaires on measures of perceived police injustice and moral disengagement. Results supported our hypothesis, such that moral disengagement predicted past month aggression among juvenile offenders, but only by youth who reported mean and high levels of perceived police injustice. While more research is needed in this area, this study's findings underscore the need to address both perceived police engagement and moral disengagement among youth at-risk of engaging in delinquent behaviors. Implications for intervention programs are also presented.
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    Race/Ethnicity, and Behavioral Health Status: First Arrest and Outcomes in a Large Sample of Juvenile Offenders
    (Springer Nature, 2018-04) Lau, Katherine S.L.; Rosenman, Marc B.; Wiehe, Sarah E.; Tu, Wanzhu; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    The objective of this study was to assess the simultaneous effects of gender, race/ethnicity, and pre-arrest behavioral health (BH) service-use on age at first arrest, and first arrest outcomes. Between January 2004 and December 2011, arrest and medical records were collected on a retrospective longitudinal cohort of 12,476 first-time offenders, ages 8-18 years. Black youth were arrested at younger ages than white or Hispanic youth. Youth with psychiatric problems were arrested at younger ages than youth with substance-use, dual-diagnoses, or no BH problems. Compared to white males, black males had lower odds of detention and BH referrals. Compared to white females, black females had higher odds of release and lower odds of probation, detention, and BH referrals. A significant gender-by-BH problem interaction revealed males and females with previous psychiatric problems were arrested at younger ages than youth with substance, dual-diagnosis, or no prior problems. Implications are discussed.