Explaining racial and ethnic differences in adolescent violence: Structural disadvantage, family well-being, and social capital*

Abstract

This article integrates theory and research in criminology and urban sociology to specify a contextual model of differences in adolescent violence between whites and five racial-ethnic groups. The model views these differences as a function of variation in community contexts, family socioeconomic well-being, and the social capital available to adolescents and families. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, we show that white-black and white-Latino differences in violence are explained by community and family disadvantages, respectively. American Indians are the sole group for whom differences relative to whites are not fully explained. Theoretical and public policy implications of the findings are discussed.