Bridging the Gap: How Generations and Immigration Shape Trust in the Police Among Ethnic Minorities

• In Event: Experiencing othering: Rethinking police relations with vulnerable groups

Abstract

The relationship between ethnic minority groups and the police is often marked by disproportionate negative interactions, mistrust, and a perceived lack of legitimacy. Ethnic minorities frequently experience discriminatory practices, such as racial profiling and over-policing, which contribute to their skepticism toward law enforcement. While existing literature addresses general distrust, the impact of intergenerational factors, such as racial socialization and immigration generational status, on these perceptions remains underexplored. These factors, which shape individuals’ understanding of authority and their relationship with the police, are crucial for understanding how attitudes toward the police evolve across generations, particularly within long-standing migrant communities.
Research highlights the role of racial socialization, such as ‘The Talk,’ in shaping perceptions of police, but how these intergenerational influences interact with immigration status is less explored. For example, first-generation Moroccan and Turkish migrants in Belgium may have different perceptions of the police compared to their children or grandchildren, whose experiences are influenced by different socio-political contexts.
This presentation focuses on the findings of a systematic literature review analyzing research on intergenerational and immigration-related factors that shape perceptions of police legitimacy and trust. The review highlights key gaps in the literature and examines how these factors influence encounters between ethnic minorities and police.
Additionally, I will discuss how this literature review informs my broader PhD project, which aims to address these gaps by exploring the role of intergenerational transmission and immigration status in shaping perceptions of police legitimacy and trust. This project seeks to enhance theoretical understanding and provide practical insights for developing more effective policing strategies for ethnic minority communities, fostering improved police-community relations.

Authors

• Julie Van Hoorenbeeck, Dept. Criminology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Sofie De Kimpe, Associate Professor - VUB