Comparable proportions of petitioned status offense cases were adjudicated for all racial groups in 1997 (figure 29). Adjudication resulted in 53% of cases involving white youth, 51% of those involving black youth, and 50% of those involving youth of other races. The likelihood of adjudication decreased between 1988 and 1997 across offense categories for all racial groups (table 83).

Adjudicated status offense cases involving black youth were less likely than those involving white youth or youth of other races to receive a disposition of "other sanction," possibly as a result of the relatively low volume of liquor violation cases among blacks.

Adjudicated status offense cases involving black youth were more likely to result in out-of-home placement than were cases involving white youth or youth of other races. In 1997, out-of-home placement was used in 20% of adjudicated cases involving black youth, 13% of those involving whites, and 9% of those involving youth of other races (table 84). Between 1988 and 1997, the probability of out-of-home placement increased slightly for black youth but decreased for white youth and youth of other races.

In 1997, probation was the most restrictive disposition used in 65% of adjudicated status offense cases involving black youth, 60% of cases involving whites, and 61% of cases involving youth of other races (table 85). In all racial groups, probation was most likely for truancy cases. Between 1988 and 1997, the likelihood of formal probation increased slightly for cases involving white youth (from 57% to 60%) and decreased for cases involving black youth (from 70% to 65%) and youth of other races (from 65% to 61%).