NCJ Number
35048
Date Published
1975
Length
101 pages
Annotation
BASED ON SURVEY ADMINISTERED TO BLACK, WHITE, AND SPANISH-AMERICAN STUDENTS IN DES MOINES, THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE ATTITUDES OF YOUTH TOWARD POLICE IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO MINORITY RECRUITMENT.
Abstract
THIS STUDY TESTED THREE NULL HYPOTHESES: 1) THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE OF PERSONS WITH DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS; 2) THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDES OF PERSONS WHO ARE DIFFERENT IN SEX AND LEVEL OF SOCIAL POSITION BUT HAVE THE SAME ETHNIC BACKGROUND; AND 3) THAT THERE WILL BE NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO SEVERAL POLICE CHARACTERISTICS, BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN ETHNIC GROUPS AND SUBGROUPS. THE POLICE CHARACTERISTICS RATED INCLUDED JOB EFFECTIVENESS, INTEGRITY, INTELLIGENCE, COMPASSION, TEMPERMENT, POTENCY IN ACTION, DEPENDABILITY, AND RESPECTING RIGHTS. IN ADDITION TO QUESTIONS ON STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, THE SURVEY INCLUDED APPRAISALS OF THE RESPONDENT'S ATTITUDES TOWARD BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER. A RANDOM SAMPLING OF ALL JUNIOR AND SENIOR BLACK STUDENTS IN DES MOINES WAS SURVEYED. EXCEPT FOR THE EXCLUSION OF A FEW PERSONS, ALL OF THE SPANISH AMERICAN JUNIORS AND SENIORS WERE SURVEYED. IN ADDITION, SIXTEEN WHITE PERSONS FROM EACH OF FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED TO BE SURVEYED. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT ATTITUDES OF BOTH BE SURVEYED. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT ATTITUDES OF BOTH WHITE AND SPANISH-AMERICAN STUDENTS WERE MORE POSITIVE THAN ATTITUDES OF BLACK STUDENTS. PATTERNS IN THESE FINDINGS RELATING TO AGE, SEX, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND ARE ALSO REPORTED. ALL THREE ETHNIC BACKGROUND GROUPS HAD A SIMILAR RESPONSE PATTERN WITH RESPECT TO POLICE CHARACTERISTICS. THE CHARACTERISTICS RATED MOST POSITIVELY WERE TEMPERAMENT, JOB EFFECTIVENESS, POTENCY IN ACTION, AND INTELLIGENCE. THE MOST NEGATIVE RATINGS WERE GIVEN ON RESPECTING RIGHTS, COMPASSION, AND UNDERSTANDING. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS TO RECRUITING EFFORTS ARE DISCUSSED.