An Exploratory Examination of the Sources of Socialisation Influencing Juvenile Perceptions of the Police

A growing body of literature on juvenile perceptions of the police has demonstrated that vicarious misconduct is a significant factor in determining negative attitudes toward the police; however, the extant literature has not examined the potential sources of socialisation that may differentially affect these perceptions. The current study focuses on exploring the influence of socialisation factors in examining whether parents, friends, neighbours and media negatively affect juvenile perceptions of the police. A sample of 207 high-school students from a Midwestern city was surveyed on their general and specific perceptions of the police. The results demonstrate support for the influence of friends on perceptions of the police; both general perceptions and the likelihood of having prior negatively rated contacts. Little support for other socialisation sources (ie, parents, neighbours and the media) was found. The implications for future research are discussed.