Representative Bureaucracy and Youth Violence in Juvenile Detention Facilities

Ginger Silvera

doi:10.5539/par.v4n2p63

Abstract

This exploratory study uses the representative bureaucracy theory to consider the racial representative role, which suggests that administrators who are minorities are more inclined to represent minority interests. This research examined if racial identity and gender was related to detention officers’ perceptions of themselves as advocates for same race and same gender to incarcerated youth and to understand what they perceive are the causes for youth violence. A qualitative study was done on individuals who worked with inmates at the Los Angeles County juvenile detention facilities. The grounded theory approach was used for data analysis by observing common responses among participants. The results of this analysis indicate that detention officers are more likely to pursue the advocate role, especially when officers share the same race and gender to minors.

Highlights

Detention officers play an important role in working with incarcerated minors because they offer counseling to troubled youth and prevent youth-on-youth violence within juvenile detention centers
This research examined if racial identity and gender was related to detention officers’ perceptions of themselves as advocates for same race and same gender to incarcerated youth and to understand what they perceive are the causes for youth violence
The results of this analysis indicate that detention officers are more likely to pursue the advocate role, especially when officers share the same race and gender to minors

Summary

Introduction

Detention officers play an important role in working with incarcerated minors because they offer counseling to troubled youth and prevent youth-on-youth violence within juvenile detention centers. Youth violence is noted as a problem that is influenced by gang rivalry and racial tensions (Zhang 2007). Blacks Officers working with Black minors influences beliefs and attitudes that shape the behavior and policy decisions of bureaucrats (Selden 1997). According to the representative bureaucracy theory, bureaucrats that share the same race and ethnicity to the clients they serve would be more likely to pursue an advocate role for their client. Minimal attention has focused on using representative bureaucracy and applying it to the juvenile justice field

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Results

Conclusion