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Description

Adolescents’ contact with police is a complex outcome that is influenced by both individual behavior and the broader social context. Specifically, while delinquent behavior can lead to more police contact (Crutchfield et al., 2012), hyper-surveillance often occurs in marginalized communities, increasing unjustified police contact for youth of color (Campos-Manzo et al., 2020; Geller, 2021). Indeed, racial disparities in police contact during adolescence persist even after accounting for delinquent behavior (Campos-Manzo et al., 2020; Crutchfield et al., 2012). Thus, it is important to identify factors that may protect Black youth from contact with police. Parental involvement refers to parents’ active and consistent engagement in a youth’s life, such as providing emotional support, participating in shared activities, and open communication (Jeynes, 2016; Pettit et al., 2001; Sartor et al., 2020). These behaviors may protect youth from police contact by providing guidance in high-risk situations (Hoeve et al., 2009), de-escalating delinquent behavior (Walters, 2025), and reducing adolescents’ time in highly surveilled areas (Elliott & Reid, 2019). Yet, the protective effects of parental involvement on police contact have not been examined, especially for Black girls, whose behavior is overly criminalized (Blake et al., 2011; McGlynn-Wright et al., 2020). For example, fighting, defiance, or verbal resistance are more likely to be perceived as “dangerous” when exhibited by Black girls, increasing their risk of arrest in school and community settings (Ahonen et al., 2016). Further, existing studies on parental involvement rely on cross-sectional data or focus primarily on school involvement. The present study addressed these gaps by examining parental involvement as a moderator of the relationship between delinquent behaviors and police contact among Black adolescent girls. Participants were 1172 Black girls (Mage= 12.62; SD= .38) from the Pittsburgh Girls Study, a community-based longitudinal study. Participants completed self-report measures of delinquency (Self-Reported Delinquency Scale) and parent involvement (Supervision/Involvement Scale). Court records were used to report the frequency of police contact. Longitudinal moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Analyses examined whether perceived parental involvement at age 12 moderated the relationship between delinquent behaviors at age 12 and police contacts at age 13 and at age 17. In the first model, the interaction effect was statistically significant (B = .0008, S.E.= .0002, p < .001, 95% CI = [.0004, .0011]), such that at average and high levels of parental involvement, the relationship between delinquent behaviors at age 12 and number of police contact at age 13 was attenuated. The interaction effect in the second model, for police contact at age 17, was not significant (B = .0001, S.E.= .0002, p = .6213, 95% CI = [ -.0002, .0004]). Findings highlight the protective role of parental involvement in attenuating police contact for Black girls exhibiting delinquent behaviors during early, but not late, adolescence. The implications for development timing and interventions for Black girls will be discussed.

Publication Date

4-2026

Disciplines

Pediatrics

When and Where Presented

Presented at the Society of Research on Adolescence 2026 Biennial Meeting; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; April 15 - 18, 2026

Exploring How Parental Involvement Impacts Police Encounters and Delinquent Behaviors Among Black Adolescent Girls

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Pediatrics Commons

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