File(s) under permanent embargo
Police perceptions of young people: a qualitative analysis
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 15:34 authored by Richards, K, Cross, C, Angela DwyerAngela DwyerPolice views of young people inform the way they exercise discretion over this group. However, few studies have sought to formally document and examine police views of young people. The limited existing research is also mostly dated. This article begins to address this gap in the literature by presenting the results of semi-structured qualitative interviews with 41 police officers from Queensland, Australia. Stemming from a larger study of Police-Citizens Youth Clubs and using a grounded theory approach to data analysis, the article demonstrates the key ways in which police conceptualised young people. It reveals that while police had varied views, they predominantly constructed young people as in need of intervention. The article concludes by arguing that such a conceptualisation of young people could be problematic, given that police intervention has been shown to be a strong predictor of future criminal justice involvement.
History
Publication title
Police Practice and ResearchVolume
20Issue
4Pagination
360-375ISSN
1561-4263Department/School
School of Social SciencesPublisher
RoutledgePlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
Copyright 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupRepository Status
- Restricted