Risk factors for legal involvement among a nationally representative sample of Hispanic adolescents

Adolescent legal involvement is a public health concern nationwide. Despite the existing national limits of arrest data by Hispanic origin, previous research has found that minority youth are at increased risk for being confined. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether sex, age, authoritarian parenting, school experiences, depression, recent alcohol use, binge drinking and perceived social norms predicted legal involvement among Hispanic adolescents aged 12–17 years old nationwide. Legal involvement was operationally defined as ever being arrested, on parole or on probation. A secondary data analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was conducted including a total of 3,457 U.S. Hispanic adolescents. First, unadjusted odds ratios were computed by conducting a univariate logistic regression analyses. Then, all variables that were significant in the univariate logistic regression analyses were retained and included in a final multiple logistic regression model. A total of 7.6% of Hispanic adolescents reported legal involvement. Unadjusted odds ratios indicated that sex, age, authoritarian parenting, school experiences, depression, recent alcohol use, binge drinking and perceived student use of alcohol were statistically significant predictors of legal involvement. All variables were subsequently retained and included in the final multiple regression models. The final multiple regression model significantly predicted legal involvement. Specifically, results indicated Hispanic adolescents at increased risk for legal involvement were males, aged 16–17 years, experienced authoritarian parenting, had negative school experiences and recently used alcohol. The combined influence of predictors on legal involvement for Hispanic adolescents was explored. Based on study findings, intervention programs should target all Hispanic youth, especially males and aged 14–17 years, to effectively address this problematic behaviour. Families, schools, communities and juvenile justice systems should work together to decrease illegal involvement among Hispanic adolescents.