Social Network Characteristics among Racial/Ethnic Minority Young Adult Males with Prior Criminal Justice System Involvement

Research examining social networks and delinquency risk rarely focuses on the unique period of young adulthood. Young adults who have been involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) may associate with high-risk peers or be less central in their social networks, especially in urban, low-resourced contexts. We used social network analysis to examine prior CJS involvement with network composition and centrality among racial/ethnic minority young adult males (n = 119). Participants with CJS involvement were highly connected to each other and had high-risk peers but were no more or less central in their networks. Understanding delinquency risks for racial/ethnic minority young adult males identifies prevention and intervention targets during the transition to adulthood.