An examination of police stops and youths’ attitudes toward police: Do interracial encounters matter?

Abstract

Little is known about how police–youth experiences influence adolescents' views toward police, particularly when the officer is White and the youth is African American. The contours of this association and its potential consequences are investigated. Using data on police stops culled from a previous study, we use a series of regression analyses to examine the factors that influence juvenile attitudes toward the police among youth having experienced a police stop. Findings reveal that, among other things, race impacts youths' attitudes toward law enforcement through the interracial characteristics of the stop, a context in which youth are more likely to feel disrespected.