Exploring Black, Indigenous and White youths' confidence in police: A Canadian perspective

• In Event: Youth, Punishment and the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Effective law enforcement is contingent on public support. A growing volume of research examining public perceptions of the police suggest that trust and confidence in the police is very low among youth and specific racialized populations. However, there is a gap in Canadian research that examines the complexities of the relations between youth, particularly in relation to racialized youth and the police. Using Statistics Canada’s 2014 General Social Survey (GSS) on victimization (cycle 28), the present study specifically examines Indigenous, Black and White youth’s attitude toward the police. Preliminary analysis suggests that race plays a significant role in identifying a youth's perception of police. Thus, in Canada, Black and Indigenous youth have lower confidence in the police compared to their White counterparts. Using a variety of bivariate and multivariate techniques, analysis suggests that gender, social class, and geographic location also have an impact on confidence in police. In addition, survey results will explore variables that previous studies have identified as having a relationship to perception of police including, perceptions of police legitimacy, perceptions of discrimination by police, and willingness to report crime to the police. Implications of these findings will be explored.

Author

• Kanika Samuels-Wortley, University of Waterloo