Legal Cynicism as a Mechanism Linking Childhood Risk to Young Adult Arrest

Prior research shows that adolescents with higher levels of legal cynicism are more likely to experience arrest in young adulthood, yet less is known about how different forms of childhood disadvantage shape legal cynicism and later criminal legal system involvement. This study examines whether childhood risks operate through distinct developmental pathways linking early adversity to arrest in young adulthood. Using longitudinal, nationally representative data, we employed path analysis to examine associations between childhood parental incarceration, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and race with arrest in young adulthood as mediated through adolescent police stops and legal cynicism. Parental incarceration and identifying as Black/African American directly predicted arrest in young adulthood. Cumulative ACEs and identifying as Black/African American indirectly predicted young adult arrest through increased adolescent police stops and subsequent legal cynicism. Parental incarceration operated through a distinct pathway, directly predicting young adult arrest and shaping adolescent legal cynicism independently of police contact.