Lasting Impressions on Police Legitimacy: Parental Conversations about the Police in the Procedural Justice Model

• In Event: Families and Intergenerational Transmission of Perspectives on Police and Justice

Abstract

The field of legal socialization--the process by which individuals develop an understanding of and relationship with the law--has primarily focused on the role of procedural justice in forming legitimacy toward the police. However, many adolescents lack personal experiences with the police and may be relying on other factors, such as purposeful socialization, as a basis for their attitudes. This study examined the types and frequencies of parental messages about the police in predicting police legitimacy attitudes in combination with procedural justice. Three hundred and fifty-seven undergraduate participants completed an online survey measuring procedural justice, police legitimacy, and parental conversations about the police. A regression analysis using parental conversation subscales and procedural justice in predicting police legitimacy with race as a moderator found that procedural justice (p<.001) and police as protectors (p<.001) were significant predictors of police legitimacy for White participants, while police as protectors (p=.003), dangers of police (p=.004), and safety and compliance behaviors (p=.042) were significant predictors of police legitimacy for Black participants. Results suggest that the types of messaging and their impact on legitimacy attitudes, in combination with procedural justice, look different depending on race. Implications for policing and community relations with police are discussed.

Authors

• Lindsey Cole, Western New England University

• Keisha April, Rutgers University-Newark