The juvenile court to varying degrees operates under the doctrine of parens patriae whereby decision makers can rely on both legal and extralegal considerations to decide a case outcome. Within this context, age is viewed as a factor in assessing the culpability of a youth that may result in what has been coined as a “youth discount.” Lacking is inquiry into the extent to which age acts as a mitigating determinant of juvenile justice outcomes for Whites, Blacks, males, females, and various race/gender combinations. Relying on interpretations of the symbolic threat perspective and theory that emphasizes racial and gender stereotyping, the present research examined the individual effects of race, gender, and age on court sanctions, as well as the joint relationships between these three offender characteristics with decision making. The results have implications for providing clarity into the contextual effects of race, gender, and age on juvenile justice proceedings.
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