NCJ Number
169107
Date Published
1997
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This paper focuses on issues of policing and the work of police with children.
Abstract
First, the general role of policing in society is discussed, and police responsibilities are described in relation to children. Second, the situations in which police encounter children are discussed. Third, data from the Violence Intervention Project for Children and Families in New Orleans describe police attitudes toward children. Fourth, these issues are examined in relation to the future role of police with children in the context of community policing. The discussion of issues related to police interaction with children notes how complex the relations are between police and children. Police interacting with children must decide in relation to their functions as crime fighters, service providers, and maintainers of order whether the children are victims, perpetrators, or witnesses. Complicating these structural and interactional roles are the attitudes that police have toward children and toward their own work performance. The survey of police officers focused on their perceptions of the degree of violence in their district, their beliefs about their role at a homicide scene, ways in which they believe they can assist children and families in coping with violence, and their suggestions as to how to improve the relationship between police and the community. Findings show that the officers with the highest levels of experience, perceived trust, and job satisfaction are more likely to be successful in achieving one of the goals of community policing, i.e., to better serve the residents by developing rapport with them and their children. 7 tables and 42 references