The Effects of Child Protective Services and Juvenile Justice System Involvement on Academic Outcomes: Gender and Racial Differences

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to examine gender and racial differences in the association between system involvement types (i.e., child protective services [CPS] only, juvenile justice system only, and dual involvement) and academic outcomes (i.e., grade failure, chronic absenteeism). This study used records from a linked database of public youth-serving institutional records within a county’s youth court, law enforcement agencies, and CPS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. The impact of systems involvement on academic outcomes was most salient among Black males, while none of the system involvement types were associated with chronic absenteeism or grade failure among White males. Findings highlight the need for the development of intervention strategies to address educational needs of youth involved in the CPS and juvenile justice systems, with a heightened attention to Black and male youth, to improve their attendance and academic performance.