Comparison by Race of Juvenile Referrals in Alaska: Phase II Report

Abstract

Phase I of this study analyzed data on over 28,000 referrals to the Alaska Division of Family and Youth Services (DFYS) for 1992–1995 to provide comparative information on referrals of Alaska Native, African American, and white youth to the Alaska juvenile justice system. In Phase II, a stratified sample of 112 individual files was examined in an attempt to identify factors, such as race, residence in rural or urban locations, alcohol involvement, age at first referral, family and living situations, and local priorities which might be associated with the decision to refer a child to DFYS. This examination supported the previous finding that minority youth, including Alaska Natives, were more likely than white youth to accumulate referrals. Native youth were also more likely to accumulate alcohol-related referrals, particularly at the village level, Alaska Native juveniles may be receiving referrals in rural areas for behaviors that would be ignored or dealt with more informally by urban police. Furhter, youth who had multiple referrals tended to have more unstable home lives than those with fewer referrals, regardless of racial or ethnic identities.