Perceptions of School and Custodial Interrogations

• In Event: Schoolhouse Interrogations: Current Practices and Perceptions

Abstract

Juveniles are more susceptible to coercive interrogation techniques than adults. Most of the tactics, procedures, and methods used on adults in interrogations are implemented within schools in various ways. For example, schools use school resource officers and administrators to question juveniles, similar to police. Recent developments have found that these techniques lead to school criminalization and the school-to-prison pipeline. The main goal of this study was to examine general perceptions of custodial and school interrogations and whether parent presence impacted these perceptions. The current study recruited 300 participants from Allegheny College, a small liberal arts institution or Prolific, who participated in an online survey. Participants read one of four interrogation transcripts of a juvenile who was either interrogated by a school principal or police officer. Final data analysis found that participants perceived interrogations by police officers to be more severe and coercive than school principals. Participants also believed juveniles were more likely to be guilty when interrogated by a principal. These findings emphasize the lack of ongoing awareness of school interrogations and how juveniles are treated within the criminal justice system.

Authors

• Hannah Hinterleiter, Allegheny College / Towson University

• Christopher Normile, Allegheny College