A Brighter Future Lies Ahead? The Impact of Juvenile Records on Adults' Hiring Prospects

Having a record can make obtaining employment difficult - while the stigma against criminal records is well established, the effects of a juvenile record on hiring outcomes is less clear. Juvenile records can often be sealed; however, when sealing is not done consistently or transparently, people with juvenile records face a difficult decision when applying for jobs - disclose a record that may be sealed, or omit information about a record that shows up on a background check? Experiment 1 used a hypothetical applicant paradigm with a sample of hiring managers to evaluate the impact of juvenile record disclosure and background check report on hiring outcomes. Results suggest that juvenile records can be harmful to employment outcomes, as applicants with a juvenile record on their background check were penalized compared to applicants without a record on their background check. Experiment 2 used a correspondence audit to evaluate the effect of disclosing a juvenile record on hiring outcomes. Response rates were between 8% and 14% but did not significantly differ between different disclosure methods. These experiments highlight the detrimental nature of juvenile records, raise questions regarding hiring managers' practices and the ability to disclose a juvenile record, and support the argument for strict adherence to record sealing policy.