Discrimination, Emotions, and Identity: Unpacking Latinx Pathways to Crime

Abstract

In the United States, populations of Color are overrepresented across virtually all arenas of the criminal justice system. These realities have led scholars to bring race and ethnicity to the forefront of our examinations of crime and justice. Understanding how culturally specific factors distinctly impact a group is imperative when it comes to understanding why some engage in offending while others do not. Analyzing the pathways specified by the theory of African American Offending (TAAO) among a Latinx population can help shed light on whether this theory may be broadly applicable to populations of Color. This insight can aid in the development of culturally appropriate interventions and policies to combat the institutional racism that increases marginalized populations’ likelihood of contact with the criminal justice system. Thus, we explore how well TAAO pathways apply to a Latinx sample of youth. Findings lend support for culturally distinct examinations. Implications are discussed.