Comparing Youth-Police Interactions in Germany and France

• In Event: Perceptions of Police: International Perspectives

Abstract

Young people are generally known to frequently interact with the police, but some countries report more conflict-ridden youth-police interactions than others. Past studies on the issue mostly focused on one country. Therefore, the questions remain whether commonly shared patterns of youth-police interaction exist across countries, and what explains differences in levels of legitimacy and violence. Results from the comparative German-French analysis of juveniles’ encounters with the police are presented, based on a large-scale youth survey in both countries (N=ca. 20.000). These findings pinpoint commonalities, but also significant differences between the two countries. Although no significant overall disparity in the frequency of police contacts in Germany and France exist, there are important differences by ethnic minority status. Whereas in France adolescents of North African origin report significantly more police-initiated contacts, more physical violence during those contacts, and correspondingly express less trust in the police, interactions and attitudes of youths in Germany do not vary to the same extent by ethnic status. In the comparative analyses of police contacts and attitudes to the police by French and German youths which we will present, the influence of social status, life style and delinquency will be modelled in addition to ethnic minority status.

Authors

• Anina Schwarzenbach, Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law

• Dietrich Oberwittler, Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law