Impact of Race on Criminal Justice Ideology: An Examination of High School Students

• NCJ Number: 229186
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 37 Issue: 6 Dated: November-December 2009 Pages: 534-541
• Author(s): Yolander G. Hurst; Denise D. Nation
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using survey data collected from 1,398 rural and suburban public high school students, this study examined the influence of race on the criminal justice ideologies of juveniles.

Abstract

The findings indicate that criminal justice ideology is influenced by race, with Black youths being more likely than White youths to be liberal and less conservative. Although half of the sampled juveniles consistently agreed with the liberal statements, non-White juvenile were significantly more likely than their White counterparts to do so. Black juveniles in particular were significantly more likely to attribute crime to poverty and social injustice, as well as to believe that the best way to reduce crime is through education and job training. White youths, however, were significantly more likely to agree that it would be careless to stop trying to treat juveniles in rehabilitative efforts, and that treating criminals is just as important as making them pay for their crimes. On the other hand, White juveniles were more conservative in their ideological views, believing, for example, that stiffer jail sentences are needed to deter criminals from committing crimes. White teens were also more likely than Black teens to believe that more attention should be given to victims and less to criminals. Although race was statistically significant in influencing criminal justice ideology among juveniles, other variables exerted more influence. Chief among these variables was confidence in the system. Specifically, confidence that the system would treat citizens fairly more strongly influenced both a liberal and conservative stance. Several demographic characteristics also shaped the ideology of juveniles; for example, girls were more likely to be liberal in their views, and juveniles who had not heard of police mistreatment, or who themselves had not experienced negative contact with the police were more conservative. 4 tables, 34 references, 4 notes, and appended list of survey items and a correlation matrix of variables in analysis