NCJ Number
84529
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1982) Pages: 329-340
Date Published
1982
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article examines the program initiatives undertaken by the police in Canadian schools which have been designed to positively influence adolescents' perceptions of the police.
Abstract
Research on juvenile perceptions of the police has revealed that the type of contact juveniles have with the police determines how youths view the police. Negative encounters result in negative perceptions, and positive experiences result in favorable perceptions. Review of the various police school initiatives, including both residential and nonresidential programs, indicates that while some programs have claimed success in altering juvenile perceptions of the police, others have produced no evidence of attitudinal change. Further, no evaluations have examined the behavioral change of youths who participate in various police initiatives. It is suggested that judging such programs according to reduction in rates of juvenile delinquency is inappropriate and may hinder attainment of more subjective but equally valid objectives. In addition, police initiatives, generally operated by police-community relations units, may not receive the support of police administration or line officers and may constitute an isolated organizational effect. The article provides 30 references. (Author summary modified)