Intersectional Lives, and Ecological Risks: The Association between Criminal Legal System Exposures and Suicide Attempts among Black Youth

Abstract

Background: Suicides among Black youth are rising at an alarming rate; however, the roles of criminal legal system exposures in suicide attempts remain understudied. We examined whether police interactions, household incarceration, and self-reported delinquency are associated with past-year suicide attempts among Black youth and whether these associations differ by gender. Methods: We analyzed survey data from U.S.-born Black youth aged 18–24, collected during February–April 2023 (women: n = 270; men: n = 84).We described sample characteristics by gender, estimated bivariate logistic regressions stratified by gender, and fitted pooled logistic regression analysis with gender × exposure interactions, reporting gender-specific adjusted odds ratios (AORs). Results: In bivariate models, delinquency and police interactions were positively associated with suicide attempts among both Black women (OR = 7.00; 95% CI: 2.09–23.41 and OR = 2.22; 1.24–3.95) and Black men (OR = 13.51; 2.76–66.13 and OR = 3.41; 1.16–10.03). Household incarceration was associated with attempts among Black men (OR = 5.35; 1.83–15.66). In pooled adjusted models, police interaction was significant for Black men (AOR = 2.14; 1.14–4.01) but not for Black women (AOR = 1.72; 0.83–3.56). Household incarceration was significant for Black women (AOR = 2.18; 1.02–4.70) and imprecise for Black men (AOR = 1.60; 0.30–8.49). Conclusions: Contact with the criminal legal system —particularly delinquency and policing—are linked to suicide attempts among Black youth. These findings underscore the need for prevention strategies that integrate suicide risk screening with efforts to reduce harmful criminal legal exposures and support youth and families affected by incarceration.