The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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143 representation of these kids in the juvenile justice system has been documented. When we do empirical studies, we find that they are overrepresented. So the question is, are they doing something to get themselves there Or is there something else going on Do the police treat the Hispanics and Blacks differently A. No, I don’t believe that at all. Q. Your perception is that the system is colorblind A. I have never seen a racial incident with a police officer and a citizen. Throughout my twelve years at the police station and my time here. One of my co-workers came in and go, well, I ‘ye got this black kid. You know, I’ve never heard a description of their color come into a conversation. Not once. So I have a real hard time with bias. The same with police officers, to have them say, ‘Oh, I had this black kid...’ they don’t do it. They say, ‘I had a 12-year old’ and it never even, it doesn’t play 9 into.. .Now if there’s a personal bias when they are out at the scene, I don’t see it, I am not there. But when they come in, they don’t talk about it being a racial issue and it is never brought up that way. Understand I am looking at it from that point of view. You know I agree with some of what you said. I think there’s always racist people and they don’t want to admit it, but I also think that blacks and Hispanics are racist against whites. It’s a no win situation and I think that people use their race to get what they want. Poor me because I’m this color, poor me because I didn’t get the education, poor me...But if you look at it, the government tries to help those minorities much more now than whites. And the white male is ‘the minority’ most of the time. I just hate that excuse. . .because they’re black or they’re Hispanic. I know people are born into poverty and I know it’s a lot harder for them to get out of it than, say, a white middle-class child. But I think that excuses are used a lot for minorities. Q. So to clarify, you believe children of color commit more crimes and that their treatment by the system, which is fair and objective, is being seen, purposely or not, as racism A. Yes.
144 Q. As an excuse for why they committed crime and why they’re in the system A. Right, right. I think there are a number of factors that play into that. I think that the attitude of the black community, as with rappers, has really slid. I think in the early 80’s there were more positive things for them. I think that a lot of the trapped feelings of inner city youth have permeated on television. It ‘s just like our economy is geared by how we feel about it rather than how it actually runs. If there is a positive feel about the business climate then things are going to be better. So much of Wall Street is just a feeling. I think a lot of people do the same thing. I think a lot of the music plays a big part. Q. It generates discontent in areas where there is no need for discontent A. Yeah, sure. In fact, Marian Health Center two years ago conducted a program where they gave kids any kind of music that they wanted for six months and then the next six months they took that music totally away. They found on that unit that their assaultive behaviors were reduced by three hundred percent by taking this music away. That is probably not a very scientific study but it was conclusive enough for them to say that this music generates violence. If kids are too tied into that then they are not paying attention to what they should be paying attention to like academics. I think that violence in television has played a role. I think it has played a role that we don’t want to look at because of economics. It is like alcoholism. By the time a kid is eighteen they will have witnessed one hundred thousand beer commercials on TV. Those commercials program kids to use alcohol. They say that life is all fun, that it is sexy, everybody is good looking and I think it really orientates kids to think that life is all fun and if they are not having fun then the thing they are missing out on is alcohol. I think that has played a large part. Q. I’m interested as to how it affects the children of color to a greater extent than white children. A. Again, the trapped inner city feelings. Kids say, how do we get out Well, the easy avenue is to deal drugs. That is a big part of it and that plays a role in gang activity.
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The Disproportionate Overrepresenta
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The Disproportionate Overrepresenta
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Each of the following persons, in a
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Race Differences in Processing…
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Future Opportunities……………
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Crimes………………………
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LIST OF TABLES Title Page # Summary
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Frequency Distributions of Variable
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Definition of Variables Used to Rep
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Frequency Distributions of Variable
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Definitions of Variables Used to Re
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Research Sites 2 Due to the relativ
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was counted as only one referral. T
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6 result of an active policy which
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8 outcomes is as follows: adjudicat
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10 Analysis The analyses followed t
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12 Scott County: At the stage of pe
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14 Table 1. Summary of Research Des
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16 Table 1-continued. _____________
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18 Table 2--Continued. Black Hawk W
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Table 3.-continued. 20 Disposition
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Table 3.-continued. 22 Disposition
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24 objective of this approach was t
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26 negative light, represented by b
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28 Thus, the decision makers respon
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30 specific county is first present
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Table 1. Number of Self-Reports and
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34 in interacting with youth. The e
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36 end up being good and I learned
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38 he is on probation, he knows the
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40 . . . level of supervision and a
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42 For the young black man it is a
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44 (47 percent answered most of the
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46 the result of disproportionate i
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48 court whereas a person without t
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50 and deprivation financially and
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52 referred on to petition. The res
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Blacks/Dropout Placement 54 The sec
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56 of things doesn’t get arrested
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58 I think that traditionally Black
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60 while job and they are contribut
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62 be. If someone has done wrong an
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64 also varied. The two more promin
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66 Table 2. Definition of Variables
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Table 3--continued. 68 Variable Nam
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Table 5--continued. 72 Variable Nam
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Table 5--continued. Variable Name C
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76 Table 7. Frequency Distributions
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Table 10. Definition of Variable Re
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Table 11--continued. Variable Name
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84 Several black youth felt that wh
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86 Some individuals did believe tha
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88 In summary both races felt that
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90 A black male reasoned that black
Page 113 and 114: 92 variation in the responses. A ma
Page 115 and 116: 94 than white. Almost all of t blac
Page 117 and 118: 96 for a probation violation.” A
Page 119 and 120: 98 get to associate with kids and h
Page 121 and 122: 100 “It’s too hard for me. I do
Page 123 and 124: 102 married or nothing like that.
Page 125 and 126: 104 Table 1. Definition of Variable
Page 127 and 128: Table 2--continued. White Black Var
Page 129 and 130: 108 Table 4. Frequency Distribution
Page 131 and 132: 110 Table 4--continued. White Black
Page 141 and 142: 120 more diversified personnel to a
Page 143 and 144: 122 I have problems with the facili
Page 145 and 146: 124 adhere to, you know, to the cou
Page 147 and 148: 126 laymen, lay people the authorit
Page 149 and 150: 128 called an original gang member.
Page 151 and 152: opportunity, or do you wait for the
Page 153 and 154: 132 ...there’s things that you di
Page 155 and 156: 134 almost never/never). Thirty-fou
Page 157 and 158: 136 I think that may be apart of it
Page 159 and 160: 138 one-time meeting with this fami
Page 161 and 162: 140 …no differences. I don’t th
Page 163: 142 of our diversion programs as qu
Page 167 and 168: 146 blacks were released while olde
Page 169 and 170: 148 not be cooperative, it limits y
Page 171 and 172: 150 Indian Youth of America is very
Page 173 and 174: Blacks, Native American Indians Les
Page 175 and 176: 154 Overall, most of the decision m
Page 177 and 178: 156 same schools in Sioux City. The
Page 179 and 180: 158 A. Well, they’re living in Si
Page 181 and 182: 160 A. Yeah, I think so. I think th
Page 183 and 184: 162 ideological position is evident
Page 185 and 186: Table 1. Distributions of Decision
Page 189 and 190: Table 3--continued 168 Variable Nam
Page 193 and 194: Table 5-continued. 172 Variable Nam
Page 197 and 198: Table 8. Definition of Variables Re
Page 199 and 200: Table 10. Definition of Variables R
Page 201 and 202: Table 11-continued. 178 Variable Na
Page 203 and 204: Chapter Six Woodbury County Youth T
Page 205 and 206: 182 Q: Do you feel racial discrimin
Page 207 and 208: improving. There was one twelve yea
Page 209 and 210: 186 Q: Do you feel racial discrimin
Page 211 and 212: 188 Q: Do you feel that a black per
Page 213 and 214: 190 In the interviews, half of the
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192 Trust The question asked in thi
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194 According to the Hispanic youth
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196 he always yells at the black ki
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(58 percent of the whites, 55 perce
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200 Q: Now, tell me why. A: Cause i
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202 Q: You mean of physical harm or
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204 have a lot of respect for the p
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Perceptions of Probation Officers 2
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208 blacks (Tables 5, 6). Generally
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210 Black youth He’s nice. He tal
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212 The first black youth believed
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214 because the teacher would not l
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216 and go to the principal’s off
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218 The youth have taken into consi
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220 Table 1. Definition of Variable
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Table 2-continued. White Black Vari
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224 Table 4. Frequency Distribution
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226 Table 4-continued White Black V
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230 Table 6-continued. White Black
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234 Table 8--continued. White Black
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236 Perceived Role of the Court and
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238 There is extremely more paperwo
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As in the responses to the closed e
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242 getting the support from the pa
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244 They seem to want to turn the k
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246 crime. There are some officers,
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Police 248 In response to the close
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250 tend to be drawn to gang activi
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252 Blacks and Detention The first
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254 The problem is availability. Th
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256 the percentages. I don’t know
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258 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
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Table 3-continued. 262 Variable Nam
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Table 6. Definition of Variables Re
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274 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
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Chapter Eight YOUTH POLK COUNTY The
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278 ...because of the last past thi
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280 equal opportunity; yet, youth w
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282 The trend in the interviews, fo
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284 in the minority. Racism is indi
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286 could single out a group that t
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288 I think it is because they are
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290 could trust the police, there w
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292 View of Probation Officer In th
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294 and he spoke out against me, ma
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296 Some of those blacks who did co
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Summary 298 In general, most of the
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Table 4-continued. White Black Vari
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Charter Nine Adult Decision Makers
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316 from becoming recidivists and
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318 The paperwork. I think I do my
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320 By reading through the intervie
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322 difference is that youth are no
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324 this country. I don’t think i
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326 I think some of them have to pr
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328 I think they’re about the sam
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330 My feeling is that the most com
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332 The Juvenile Justice System In
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334 I have seen a couple of instanc
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336 The Disproportionate Overrepres
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338 It just goes to show that is al
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340 Race Findings Specific to Study
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342 Blacks Receive Consent Decrees
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344 small minority we are dealing w
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346 In response to the second phase
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348 As a person who hires here, I a
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350 Table 1. Distributions of Decis
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354 Table 3-continued. Variable Nam
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Table 6. Definition of Variable Rep
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366 Table 11. Frequency Distributio
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Chapter Ten Youth Scott County Ther
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370 have equal job opportunities (6
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372 concerning opportunities in the
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374 police brutality. One expressed
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376 feel police do not treat everyo
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378 just thinks you’re never goin
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380 The results from the self repor
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382 white youth who reported he wou
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384 When asked whether they regrett
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400 Table 8-continued White Black V
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402 asked more general questions th
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404 however, were the dominant them
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406 In all four counties, decision
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408 Recommendations A number of rec
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410 encourage sexual promiscuity, a
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412 decision makers have little exp
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414 resources and rising expectatio
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416 Depending on the county, decisi
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418 family cooperativeness or defic
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420 Table 1. Summary of Themes and
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422 Explanations of Specific Findin
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Bishop, D. and C. Fraz
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The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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