Patterns of Vicarious Police Contact and Youths’ Stress and Attitudes About the Police

• In Event: Health Criminology: Policing and Adolescent Health

Abstract

Youth of color in urban areas face elevated risks of vicarious police contact which can intensify feelings of fear, anger, and cynicism toward law enforcement. However, little is known about the patterns of vicarious police stops within youths' social circles and their impact on attitudes toward and stress about police. This study analyzed data from 345 Black youth aged 12-21 in Baltimore City who self-reported whether they knew anyone who has been stopped by police, their relation to who was stopped, as well as their own behaviors of police avoidance, stress, and attitudes of legitimacy. Results showed that over 50% of youth knew someone stopped by police, with 12% reporting four or more known persons. Knowing more individuals stopped by police was associated with increased police avoidance and stress as well as decreased perceptions of police legitimacy, especially for those with four or more known stopped persons. Knowing a friend stopped by police was associated with increased police avoidance and stress. These findings highlight the importance of understanding vicarious police contact across youths' social circles and its implications for behaviors toward police, emphasizing the need to cultivate positive police-youth relationships and address stress-related outcomes.

Authors

• Luke Muentner, RTI International

• Alexander Testa, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

• Rebecca L. Fix, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Dylan B. Jackson, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health