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Are Police as "Guardian" as They Should Be? Expectation-Reality Discrepancies Impact Perceptions of Legitimacy

Description

Due to numerous instances of police brutality in the U.S., researchers and policymakers have urged police to shift their job orientation to become more guardian-oriented (i.e., prioritizing community safety and building relationships) and less warrior-oriented (i.e., prioritizing physical control and fighting crime). Using the group engagement model and the expectancy disconfirmation hypothesis, this study examined: (1) young adults’ desire for police to be warrior- or guardian-oriented, (2) their perceptions of the extent to which police in their community are warrior- or guardian-oriented, and (3) the association between participants’ perceptions of the discrepancy between what police in their community should be versus are perceived to actually be and police legitimacy. In this study, a racially and ethnically diverse sample of young adults aged 18-25 in the United States (N = 436) responded to a self-report survey. Participants preferred police to have more of a guardian than warrior orientation and reported that police are not as guardian oriented as they wanted them to be. Further, if police did not meet their guardian expectations, young adults had more negative perceptions of police legitimacy. Expectations for police behavior may influence police legitimation and, within the context of police reform, young adults support the call for police to be more guardian-oriented by prioritizing community safety and building relationships. Fostering a guardian orientation in police is particularly important for police departments that are interested in promoting perceptions of legitimacy among the communities they serve.

ContributorsCross, Allison (Author) / Fine, Adam D (Thesis advisor) / Stolzenberg, Stacia (Committee member) / O'Hara, Karey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2023

Relationships and the Self-Efficacy of Youth on Probation

Description

Justice involved youth are an extremely important and vulnerable population. This alone makes understanding the systems they interact with even more vital due to the power those systems may have in the development of youth’s lives. Research suggests that social relationships impact youth development (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), including for justice-involved youth (Drake et al., 2014). However, gaps in literature exist in assessing multiple adult relationships for youth and measuring self-efficacy rather than probational success. The current study addresses these gaps in the literature with a sample of youth on probation (N = 889). Data came from two sources: self-report surveys from youth and official record data from the jurisdiction’s risk/needs assessment tools. Paired t-tests were administered to test the comparative levels of support between youth and the adults in their lives. It was found that youth and probation officer support had the strongest correlation. Then, linear regressions were utilized to assess relationship quality and youth self-efficacy. It was found that probation officer relationship quality was strongest in correlating to youth self-efficacy. Multiple regressions were also administered to analyze the moderation impact of probationary officer relationship quality and school employee relationship quality in relation to parent relationship quality. No statistically significant results were found. Findings suggest the importance of proximal relationships to youth and the critical importance of the probationary officer relationship to youth who are on probation.

ContributorsWeber, Lex (Author) / Fine, Adam (Thesis director) / Cross, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)

Created2023-05

Exploring Incentives and Juveniles' Probation Compliance

Description

Juvenile justice institutions have been slow to adapt their practices to the developmental challenges of adolescence. Traditional probation, which impacts the vast majority of justice-involved youth, is one such institution considering the primary goal is ensuring youth’s compliance with probation terms rather than long-term prosocial change. To better engage youth, jurisdictions are increasingly using graduated response systems that utilize incentives to reinforce desired behaviors in both the short- and long-term. Yet, little is known about what motivates youth. The current study tested three research questions. The first explored what types of incentives would motivate youth to do well on probation. The second tested what parents believe would motivate youth and how it compared to what youth desire. The final question investigated if older youth desired monetary incentives less than younger youth. Youth most desired praise-based incentives followed by privilege-based incentives and monetary incentives. Further, parents’ perceptions aligned with youths’ perceptions. Overall, these findings highlighted praise may be more impactful than previously thought, and further exploration is needed to understand its effect. Privilege and monetary-based incentives could still prove motivational for youth, but to a lesser degree than previously thought.

ContributorsRichardson, Justin Turner (Author) / Fine, Adam D (Thesis advisor) / Spohn, Cassia C (Committee member) / Stolzenberg, Stacia N (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2022