Student Perceptions of Law Enforcement

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

Societal perceptions of police are frequently discussed in today’s world, with a large divide between those that support police, and those that do not. This poster delves into the many factors of what may influence these perspectives, including demographics, media and experience with law enforcement. The information will be gathered from freshman and senior level students via survey, one conducted at the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester, and the same survey will be conducted at the end of the semester to gauge difference in responses. We hypothesize that the freshman perceptions of police will be more likely to change due to the new information they will learn, as compared to seniors who generally have already formed their own perception regarding law enforcement based on both educational and personal factors.

Authors

• Scott Chenault, University of Central Missouri

• Marissa Kendrick, University of Central Missouri