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. 2020 Oct:117:104669.
doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104669. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

Ecological systems in relation to Latinx youth in the juvenile justice system: A narrative literature review

David Hoskins  1 , Peggy Tahir  2 , Margareth Del Cid  3   4 , Leyla Perez-Gualdron  5 , Marina Tolou-Shams  3   4
Affiliations

Ecological systems in relation to Latinx youth in the juvenile justice system: A narrative literature review

David Hoskins et al. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

We conducted a narrative review of literature focused on Latinx youth in the Juvenile Justice System (JJS). The goal of this review was to identify the behavioral health needs and social and cultural factors that place Latinx youth at disproportionate risk for contact and entrenchment with the JJS. Ecodevelopmental Theory (ET) was used as the guiding framework for this review, and a total of 16 peer reviewed articles from Embase, PsychINFO, and Pubmed were collected, analyzed, and summarized. Consistent with ET, we organized themes from the literature into the following sections: (a) microsystem (i.e., family, psychiatric care, sexual health care, school); (b) mesosystem (i.e., family and social environment); (c) exosystem (i.e., family and neighborhood context, and bicultural stress); and (d) macrosystem (i.e., generational status, cultural stress, social class). Sociopolitical disparities, such as disproportionate sentencing by social class and trauma stemming from political violence, and intersections of cultural variables (e.g., generational status and acculturation) should be closely considered in any prevention and intervention efforts targeting Latinx youths. More research to understand and address the unique needs of this population is also needed.

Keywords: Ecological system; Ethnic minority youth; Latinx youth; Sexual behavior; Substance abuse; Trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Ecological model.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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