Promoting Better Outcomes for Systems-Involved Youth with Police Contact through Positive Childhood Experiences

Background/Purpose: Youth involved in the child welfare system (CWS) are more likely to come in contact with the juvenile carceral system and law enforcement, increasing exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACES). While the evidence is clear regarding the association between ACES and negative youth health and social outcomes, research has rarely focused on positive childhood experiences (PCES) for systems-involved youth. The Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences framework proposes that PCES could promote better outcomes and offer some protection for systems-involved youth. To fill this knowledge gap, we tested differences in exposures to PCES between youth in the CWS with police contact compared to their peers without police contact and examined the association between PCES and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety), subjective health, and grades.

Methods: Data came from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=4,897) with a racially diverse and gender-balanced sample. Only youth interviewed at Wave 6 that had contact with CPS were included (n=522). Two groups were created: youth involved in CWS with no police contact (CWS only youth) (69%) and CWS with police contact (33%). PCES measure was a summed index of 13 items including positive social, school, and neighborhood experiences. Mental health was based on depression and anxiety scores. Subjective health was measured by a self-rated assessment of one’s health. Grades included Math, Science, Language Arts, and History. We used Pearson and Point-Biserial correlations to examine bivariate associations. T-tests were utilized to examine group differences in levels of PCES, mental and physical health, and educational outcomes. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to estimate the hypothesized associations between PCES and youth outcomes. Covariates included racialized identity, gender, and economic hardship.

Results: Results showed significant group differences between CWS only and CWS with police contact, where CWS only youth having higher levels of PCES (t= 2.069; p < .05), lower depression scores (t=-1.980; p < .05), and better grades (t=3.212; p < .001). Hierarchical regression results revealed significant associations between PCES and anxiety (beta=-.063; p < .001), self-rated health (beta=.069; p < .001), and grades (beta=.045; p < .001) but only for youth in the CWS only group. For youth in the CWS with police contact group, PCES was a significant protective predictor of their depression scores (beta=-.078; p = .019). The rest of the associations were not significant for the CWS with police contact group.

Conclusions/Implications: Our findings highlight the importance of PCES in promoting positive outcomes among systems-involved youth. Evidence presented demonstrates more nuanced associations where the effect of PCES may vary depending on whether CWS youth have had encounters with the police. Increasing access to opportunities and resources that foster positive experiences is critical for youth health and educational outcomes, especially for black, indigenous, and youth of color who are disproportionately impacted by structural and systemic inequities that increase involvement with CWS and juvenile carceral systems.