INVESTIGATING THE ‘STICKINESS’ OF STIGMA FOLLOWING A FRIEND’S POLICE CONTACT

Abstract

The consequences of police contact for youth have been established in the prior literature (e.g., Kirk & Sampson, 2013), yet the potential for guilt by association after police contact has not been thoroughly explored. The current study examines how a youth’s police contact may increase the likelihood of a friend’s police contact after controlling for behavior and other characteristics that are associated with justice system involvement. This study expands upon labeling theory and the concept of “stickiness” by testing whether guilt by association could act as a status characteristic that is “sticky” in two ways. Using longitudinal data from a sample of rural youth, I find that a friend’s police contact is associated with an increase in the likelihood of one’s own contact after accounting for other predictors of police contact. Thus, this study provides additional evidence that police contact may be harmful for youth and their social network.