Racial and ethnic disparities in youth perceptions of police in the community and school: considering the effects of multilevel factors

Abstract

PurposeRecent publicized incidents involving police and youth, particularly minorities, may undermine attitudes toward police. This research examines the effect of race/ethnicity on youth attitudes toward police in two contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes survey data from 17,000 youth in California aggregated with data on poverty and crime. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) is used to examine the effects of individual and structural factors on perceptions of the police in the community and in school.FindingsRace/ethnicity is related to perceptions of police in both contexts even after accounting for structural factors, with Blacks and Hispanics having less positive perceptions than Whites and Asians. Differences in perceptions between racial/ethnic groups were larger for police in the community than school police. Structural factors were associated with perceptions of police in the community but not at school.Originality/valueThis study differs from much of the previous literature examining race and attitudes toward police, which has largely focused on adults. The current study examines youth attitudes toward the police in two separate contexts and considers the influence of structural factors.

Race and Ethnicity Differences in Police Contact and Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward the Police Among Youth

“…To examine the contextual nature of police stops, we explored whether the effects of direct and vicarious police stops on attitudes toward police (i.e., respect, confidence, and procedural justice) were moderated by experiences of officer intrusiveness and whether these effects varied by race/ethnicity. Our findings indicate that when a direct stop involved more officer intrusiveness black youth reported less respect and more negative perceptions of procedural justice, in line with previous research, (Brunson, 2007; Brunson & Weitzer, 2009; Hayle et al, 2016; Rengifo & McCallin, 2017; Zhang et al, 2020). Thus, a nonintrusive direct stop may yield more positive sentiments of procedural justice for black youth while a more intrusive stop has the opposite effect.…”

“…Overall, consistent with literature on youth attitudes toward police, the results suggest that direct and/or vicarious police contact can generate negative attitudes toward police among black, Hispanic, and in some cases white youth (Fine, Donley, et al, 2020; Fine, Padilla, et al, 2020; Sanden & Wentz, 2017; Slocum & Wiley, 2018; Wu et al, 2015; Zhang et al, 2020), though these effects can vary across type of police stop and attitude toward police. Our findings also indicate that the nature of direct and vicarious police stops shape attitudes toward police, particularly among black and Hispanic youth.…”

“…Much of the research examining perceptions of and attitudes toward police by race/ethnicity has focused on adult samples, with less focus on youth. Although studies in this growing area of research have produced some contradictory results: that black and/or Hispanic youth view police less favorably than white youth (Fine, Donley, et al, 2020; Fine, Padilla, et al, 2020; Slocum & Wiley, 2018; Wu et al, 2015; Zhang et al, 2020), that Hispanic youth view the police similar to white youth (Romain & Hassell, 2014), that race/ethnicity has no impact on perceptions of police (Friedman et al, 2014; Hurst et al, 2000), or that while black youth are more likely than Latino youth to have police encounters, Latino youth are more likely to react negatively to those encounters than black youth (Hagan et al, 2005). Thus, further research is needed to explore youth attitudes toward police by race/ethnicity.…”

“…For example, compared to adults, youth attitudes toward police tend to be more negative (Hurst & Frank, 2000), with the levels of negativity increasing during late adolescence (Fagan & Tyler, 2005; Fine, Padilla, et al, 2020). Moreover, black youth tend to be less supporting and less trusting of police than their white counterparts (Fine, Donley, et al, 2020; Fine Padilla, et al, 2020; Sanden & Wentz, 2017; Slocum & Wiley, 2018; Zhang et al, 2020). Furthermore, while less scholars have examined Hispanic youth attitudes toward police, studies have shown that their perceptions of police are generally lower than that of white youth, but higher than that of black youth (Rengifo & McCallin, 2017; Slocum & Wiley, 2018; Wu et al, 2015).…”

School racial‐ethnic discrimination, rule‐breaking behaviors and the mediating role of trauma among Latinx adolescents: Considerations for school mental health practice

“…It may also be relevant to identify other adversities that are affecting Latinx boys' trauma. These may include, for example, higher levels of community policing (e.g., Zhang et al, 2020), or other forms of racialized discrimination that occur outside of the school setting.…”