Household incarceration and adolescent development: Findings from a community sample of ethnically diverse youth

Despite the far-reaching consequences of incarceration for the health and thriving of communities and families, few studies have examined the impact of household incarceration on adolescent development. We investigated the association between household incarceration (e.g., parent/caregiver only, parent + another relative, other relatives) and adolescents’ developmental domain (e.g., personal, family, social, school, community) scores and explored any potential ethnic differences in these associations. Data are baseline survey responses of participating high school students (N = 1,479) enrolled in California, Oregon, and Georgia schools (n = 12).. On average the sample was 15 years old (SD = 1.3) and approximately evenly divided by sex (47% male). Students identified as African American (34%) followed by Non-Hispanic White (32%), Hispanic (20%), Multiethnic (8%), and Asian (6%). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, other childhood adversities, and socio-economic status, youth with incarcerated nonparental family members, parent/caregivers, or parent + other family members scored one quarter to one third of a standard deviation lower on developmental domains than their peers with no history of household incarceration. There were significant ethnic differences in the association between household incarceration and three of the developmental domain scores. African American and Hispanic students scored better than their non-Hispanic White peers reporting the same type of household incarceration in the personal, school and community domains. Our results highlight the need for culturally tailored accessible socioemotional and developmental support programs for this youth population.