NCJ Number
98639
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1985) Pages: 34-40
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Attitudes toward the police were investigated in a socioeconomically stratified sample of 180 Indian, male and female adolescents, 13 to 17 years old.
Abstract
Three boys' and three girls' higher secondary schools were selected at random. An attitude inventory was administered to the 90 boys and 90 girls equally representing classes 9, 10, and 11. The attitude inventory was developed from a pool of 40 indicators collected from previously published reports. Of the 180 completed inventories, 168 were found acceptable for statistical treatment. An analysis of variance and chi-square test were used. Analysis of data from the attitude inventory and of general background data showed no significant differences in attitudes as a function of sex, birth order, family size, parental education, or having a police officer as a relation. In general, adolescents showed ambivalent attitudes toward the police role, functions, practices, and dealings with the public. Older adolescents and those with neighborhood experience of police action had more negative attitudes than did younger subjects and those without such experience. Four references are included.