Exploring Variations in Perceptions of Crime and Justice: The Roles of Bias and Race/Ethnicity

• In Event: Perceptions of Police, Crime, and Justice

Abstract

Public opinion on race/ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice is a key issue for public policy and social relations in contemporary society. Much of the previous research that uses college student samples to gauge perceptions of crime has been limited to small sample sizes with very little racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and variables with questionable validity. The current study uses a relatively diverse sample of approximately 900 undergraduate students from three, mid-sized universities in New England to explore the relationship between race/ethnicity, bias and views toward crime. Using measures of authoritarianism (Soss et al. 2003) and symbolic racism (Henry and Sears 2002), results from this study indicate that measures of bias and race/ethnicity of the respondents are significantly related to views on crime and justice. This research provides a unique contribution to the literature. Implications and future directions of the study are discussed.

Author

• Forrest R. Rodgers, Salem State University