NCJ Number
212873
Journal
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management Volume: 28 Issue: 4 Dated: 2005 Pages: 578-593
Date Published
2005
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study explored racial differences in the attitudes of girls toward the police.
Abstract
The findings indicated a general lack of support for the police among both Black and White girls. However, Black girls were significantly less positive in their assessments of police and were also more likely than White girls to have had vicarious experiences of police misconduct. These vicarious experiences of police conduct emerged as the most significant influence on girls’ attitudes toward police. Data were drawn from the survey responses of 431 girls in grades 9 through 12 who completed self-administered surveys in their Greater Cincinnati, OH schools. The final sample was 53.5 percent, with a total of 257 White girls and 174 Black girls. Regression analyses confirmed that while race was a significant predictor of girls’ attitudes toward the police, vicarious experiences of misconduct was an even stronger predictor. Future research should focus on the attitudes of rural adolescents toward the police and should take into account the influence of social class on attitude formation. Tables, references