Procedural Injustice, Lost Legitimacy, And Self-Help: Young Males’ Adaptations To Perceived Unfairness In Urban Policing Tactics

Keywords

police legitimacy; procedural justice; self-help; urban policing; urban youths

Abstract

Legitimacy acts as the dividing line between a police force that merely possesses legal authority to enforce the law and one that enjoys both legal and moral authority. Research has shown that people who see the police as procedurally just are more likely to also view them as legitimate. Most of this research has been quantitative and has focused on the statistical link between procedural justice and police legitimacy. The present study offers a qualitative examination of in-depth interviews with young men residing in disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods to uncover the specific actions that police take that are seen as unjust and that erode legitimacy. In addition, evidence is revealed that compromised legitimacy can encourage young males to engage in certain self-protective behaviors that can, in turn, increase their risk of becoming the targets of police scrutiny. Implications of this finding for research and police policy are made.

Publication Date

5-6-2015

Publication Title

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

Volume

31

Issue

2

Number of Pages

132-150

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986214568841

Socpus ID

84930586158 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84930586158

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS