Criminal Justice

In your original discussion post, I require that you cite at least two pieces of concrete evidence. This means that you need to cite, at least twice, from a source in this class: the textbook, media shared in “Connecting it to the real world” or optional articles in “Connecting it to research.” I require this because I want your discussions to be based on evidence – I want your responses to be substantive. Further, this is a 400-level class where we are reading, writing, and thinking about research in a concrete manner. When asked to support your positions, please cite correctly to avoid plagiarizing and to receive full credit.

This assignment aligns with all learning objectives from Module 5.

What is the biggest challenge that police face when dealing with youth who may be delinquent? Why? After you’ve established the biggest challenge, please address at least 2 potential solutions to help ameliorate, or improve, this issue. Please support your claims with evidence.

ANSWER

Challenges That Police Face When Dealing with Youth Who May Be Delinquent

The biggest challenge that polices face when dealing with youth who may be delinquent originates from preconceived notions of antagonism between the two groups. Since most young who may be delinquent do not see police as allies, they develop a negative attitude towards them making had for police to have fruitful interactions with them (Del Toro et al., 2019). Youth hold a less favorable view of police compared to older people. Youth who may be delinquent even have lower favorability of police viewing them as potential foes. A Gallup poll conducted in June 2020 revealed that 81% of Americans aged 18 to 34 said that the police needed major changes (Crabtree, 2021). In the same poll, 61% of those aged 35 to 49 recommended major changes in police while only 43% of those in the 50 to 54 age bracket had similar thoughts. This reveals that most youths see many ills among police, therefore, making it hard for police to having any meaningful cooperation or engagement with them.

Since most youths imagine being treated unfairly by police as very dreadful, training the police on procedural justice is one way of alleviating the preconceived notions. For instance, police must learn youth psychology and behavior to apply appropriate de-escalation measures rather than over-relying on the use of force. Pictures of excessive force and treatment with disrespect against the youth destroy the image of the police making it hard for them to operate in the community. Also, Police should train to build relationships with the youth through community-based programs (Leroux & McShane, 2017). The community where the youth come from should view police officers as role models and allies. This assists them youth to positively view the police hence improve their relationships.

References

Crabtree, B. S. (2021, March 8). Most Americans Say Policing Needs “Major Changes.” Gallup.Com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/315962/americans-say-policing-needs-major-changes.aspx

Del Toro, J., Lloyd, T., Buchanan, K. S., Robins, S. J., Bencharit, L. Z., Smiedt, M. G., … &        Goff, P. A. (2019). The criminogenic and psychological effects of police stops on        adolescent black and Latino boys. Proceedings of the National Academy of          Sciences, 116(17), 8261-8268.

Leroux, E. J., & McShane, K. (2017). Changing youth attitudes toward the police through            community policing programming. Journal of Community Psychology, 45(6), 810-822.