title: A pathway model for emotional distress and implications for therapeutic jurisprudence in African American juvenile court respondents.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to propose and examine a pathway to emotional distress in African Americans with juvenile court contact (N = 213; Male = 71%; MAge = 15, SDAge = 1.47).
  
  
  
  The model included direct and indirect effects of parent attachment and empathy, as well as the direct effects of pro-social and aggressive behavior, on emotional distress, CFI = .99, TLI = .95, χ²(1) = 2.60 p = .11, and RMSEA = .09.
  
  
  
  This model explained 49% of variability of scores for emotional distress. Overall, aggressive behavior had the strongest relationship with emotional distress (β = .63), followed by parent attachment (β = -.38). In contrast, empathy (β = .12) and pro-social behavior (β = .17) were not related to emotional distress scores. A second model that included males and females simultaneously, without equality constraints, revealed substantive gender differences, CFI = .99, TLI = .91, χ²(2) = 4.63 p = .10, and RMSEA = .11.
  
  
  
  Results are discussed in the context of therapeutic jurisprudence, and recommendations are proposed for providers of court-ordered interventions (i.e., therapy and probation supervision). (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Child Guidance Clinic, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Andretta
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Worrell
authors.affiliation: Child Guidance Clinic, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Child Guidance Clinic, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Court Social Services Division, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Terri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odom
authors.affiliation: Child Guidance Clinic, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Malcolm H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Woodland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires