Legal Socialization: New Insights and Applications

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Legal socialization—the process by which people develop their relationship with the law via the development of legal values, attitudes, and reasoning—has experienced a renaissance in the last decade. This panel furthers the impact and scope of the field through the presentation of cutting edge research using longitudinal methods. The presentation by Cavanagh and Cauffman provides further evidence of the ubiquity of legal socialization, showing that adolescent legal attitudes are driven by both contact with the justice system as well as parental attitudes and socialization practices. Using nationally representative survey data, Fine examines changes in adolescents’ legal attitudes over a forty year period, highlighting the possible emergence of a crisis in police confidence among America’s youth. Drawing from the New Hampshire Youth Survey, Mays and colleagues address a recent critique of procedural justice theory, finding little support for the notion that global perceptions of police legitimacy influence judgments of situational procedural justice. Finally, Mazerolle and colleagues use legal socialization theory to explain the behavioral effects of a school engagement program aimed at reducing problematic behavior. Jacinta Gau will conclude with a discussion of the challenges and potential of the field looking ahead to the next decade.

Sub Unit

• Area VIII. Perceptions of Crime & Justice / 53. Attitudes about the Criminal Justice System & Punishment

Division of Special Interest

• Division Session of Interest / Division of Experimental Criminology

Individual Presentations

• The Role of Re-arrests in Juvenile Offenders’ and Their Mothers’ Attitudes Toward Police. - Caitlin Cavanagh, Michigan State University; Elizabeth Cauffman, University of California, Irvine

• Race, crime and law enforcement in America: Youths’ fears, concerns, and perceptions. - Adam Fine, Arizona State University

• Turning the corner on procedural justice theory: Addressing Nagin and Telep’s critique of reverse causality - Ryan Mays, Arizona State University; Rick Trinkner, Arizona State University; Ellen S. Cohn, University of New Hampshire

• Legal socialization for truanting young people: Results from a randomized field trial. - Lorraine Mazerolle, University of Queensland; Sarah Beth Bennett, University of Queensland; Emma Antrobus, University of Queensland; Stephanie Cardwell, The University of Queensland; Alex Piquero, University of Texas at Dallas

Chair

• Lorraine Mazerolle, University of Queensland

Discussant

• Jacinta Gau, University of Central Florida