The Role of Financial Strain in the Association between Household Dysfunction and

Adolescent Disciplinary Events and Arrest

 

Rasmey Gomez, MPHc; Kenny Hernandez; Mikaela Rojas, MPH; Timothy Grigsby, PhD;

Christopher Rogers, PhD, MPH; Myriam Forster, PhD, MPH

 

Household dysfunction [(HHD) e.g., parental alcohol or drug misuse, mental illness, divorce,

intimate partner violence, or incarceration, is associated with risky outcomes over the life course. This study assessed the association between HHD and adolescents’ disciplinary events and arrest among a sample of high school students (N=1564) and the role of financial insecurity in these associations. HHD was associated with increased risk of having a disciplinary event (RRR: 1.43,95% CI: 1.27, 1.61) or being arrested (RRR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.86). Importantly, youth with a history of HHD who also experienced financial insecurity had significantly higher risk of being arrested than youth with a history of HHD but who reported low financially insecurity (p=0.02). These findings underscore the need for initiatives that address the consequences of traumatic stressors and economic hardship in order to prevent or reduce disciplinary incidents and justice system involvement of vulnerable youth.