Racialized perceptions of the police: Measuring the dimensions of juveniles’ perceptions of the police
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 8 August 2018
Issue publication date: 18 March 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in latent structures/dimensions in public perceptions of the police by race/ethnicity and level of identification with a given race/ethnic group.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify differences in dimensions of juveniles’ perceptions of the police by the sub-samples, factor analyses were conducted utilizing data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training program evaluation.
Findings
The results show that minority juveniles have a relatively fragmented dimensional structure for the construct of perceptions of the police, while white juveniles have a unidimensional structure. Furthermore, moderate within-group differences in structures were found among African–American juveniles.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the current study call for further examination of racial invariant assumptions in criminology. Since individual dimensions constituting perceptions of the police vary by race/ethnicity, those dimensions may potentially have unique associations with endogenous variables (e.g. criminality and cooperation with the police) according to individuals’ racial/ethnic membership.
Practical implications
Police should clearly understand individuals’ dimensions constituting perceptions of the police and should identify dimensions that greatly impact precursors to compliance and cooperation with police such as perceived police legitimacy or perceived risk of sanction.
Originality/value
Individuals’ dimensions constituting perceptions of the police have significant implications on the construction of measures and their associations with other variables; however, racial differences in these dimensions have not been explored since Sullivan et al.’s (1987) research about three decades ago. In addition, the current study examined within-race differences in the dimensions constituting perceptions of the police.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr Geoffrey P. Alpert, Dr Robert Kaminski and the anonymous referees for their comments on earlier versions of the manuscript and Tara Martin for assistance with professional editing; nevertheless, any errors are the authors’ own and should not tarnish the reputations of these esteemed professionals.
Citation
Ra, K.H. and Kim, Y. (2019), "Racialized perceptions of the police: Measuring the dimensions of juveniles’ perceptions of the police", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 42 No. 2, pp. 301-315. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-11-2017-0144
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited