Juvenile Perceptions of the Police and Police Services
Abstract
This study examined the impact of four categories of variables (demographics,
neighborhood context variables, contact with the police, and vicarious influence variables)
on juvenile perceptions of the police and police services. Data analyzed in this study were
collected as part of a larger research evaluation that examined the impact of law
enforcement efforts in relation to violent crime. Students from one middle school were
surveyed. Statistical analysis consisted of a series of One-Way ANOVA tests and several
ordinary least squares regression (OLS) models. The study found significant results for
both dependent variables within all four categories of independent variables. Policy
implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.