Fighting Violent Extremism With Narrative Intervention: Evidence From a Field Experiment in West Africa

Violent extremism is one of the major challenges of our time. A cluster-randomized controlled trial with two arms (treatment vs. control) conducted in 132 villages in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso ( N = 2,904 participants) examined whether a narrative intervention in the format of a radio drama can shift behavioral intentions, beliefs, and attitudes in contexts of violent extremism. Individuals in intervention villages participated in weekly listening sessions to the radio drama (6 months’ content) over 12 weeks. Compared with the control condition, the narrative intervention reduced justification of violence, increased behavioral intentions to collaborate with the police, and increased prioritization of addressing violent extremism. The intervention did not influence beliefs about or attitudes toward the police (e.g., trust, fairness) or beliefs about police–community collaboration. Content analysis of the narrative intervention and participants’ reception and discussion of the intervention provide insights on the processes driving the intervention’s influence.

The impacts of direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experiences on the attitudes toward the police: focus on racial differences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experiences affect students' attitudes toward the police by race and test the mediation effect of social distance on the relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing the data collected from two US 4-year public universities, this study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the impacts of the key variables, direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experience, on the students' attitudes toward the police. This study also tests whether indirect negative contact with the police is a stronger factor than direct negative contacts among racial/ethnic minority people.FindingsResults show that both direct-negative and indirect-negative contacts are stronger predictors of the dependent variable. In particular, the indirect-negative contact has significant direct and indirect effects through social distance on the dependent variable in racial minorities. The study also shows that indirect contact more strongly affects racial minorities than direct-negative contact experiences do.Originality/valueThis study is the first sophisticatedly to examine students' negative contact experiences into two variables: direct-negative and indirect-negative contacts with the police.

"I realized that cops are just regular people" : changing youth attitudes toward the police through community policing programming.

Existing literature examining youth-police relations has consistently found that willingness to engage with the police is directly influenced by youth attitudes toward the police. Research findings suggest that increasing positive attitudes toward the police among adolescent populations will result in a subsequent increase in behaviours supportive of the police and law enforcement. The current study was a mixed-method evaluation (including survey data and qualitative interviews) of a community policing pilot program designed to increase positive contact between at-risk youth and police officers. The program was effective in positively changing youth attitudes toward the police. Interview results provide evidence of a direct mechanism for increasing trust and cooperation with the police. Survey results indicate that positive contact with the police can shift general attitudes toward the police and reduce perceptions of police discrimination. Further, survey findings support the program as a remedial intervention for youth with previous negative police contact.

"I realized that cops are just regular people" : changing youth attitudes toward the police through community policing programming.

Existing literature examining youth-police relations has consistently found that willingness to engage with the police is directly influenced by youth attitudes toward the police. Research findings suggest that increasing positive attitudes toward the police among adolescent populations will result in a subsequent increase in behaviours supportive of the police and law enforcement. The current study was a mixed-method evaluation (including survey data and qualitative interviews) of a community policing pilot program designed to increase positive contact between at-risk youth and police officers. The program was effective in positively changing youth attitudes toward the police. Interview results provide evidence of a direct mechanism for increasing trust and cooperation with the police. Survey results indicate that positive contact with the police can shift general attitudes toward the police and reduce perceptions of police discrimination. Further, survey findings support the program as a remedial intervention for youth with previous negative police contact.

A Neglected Problem: Understanding the Effects of Personal and Vicarious Trauma on African Americans’ Attitudes Toward the Police

The relationship between the police and African Americans has had a contentious history for decades. To explore this topic further, we interviewed 77 African Americans in the City of Durham, NC, about the declining relationship between their community and the police. We find that African Americans’ perceptions of the police are nuanced and complicated by personal experiences, vicarious experiences of relatives and friends, and news from social media and television regarding policing practices and treatment, including police harassment and/or brutality. We characterize these direct and vicarious experiences as the transmission of trauma. Even for the proportion of African Americans who had positive perceptions and interactions with the police, their views of the police seemed to be further complicated by broader concerns of discriminatory treatment. We proffer solutions to improve the relationship between the police and African Americans. The implications of our findings for future research are also discussed.

Acculturation and Campus Carry: Examining the Effect of Mexico Versus United States Cultural Orientations on College Students’ Support for Campus Carry

Several U.S. states have authorized carrying concealed firearms on campuses. These measures are controversial, with support falling along ideological lines. This study examines whether cultural proximity to the U.S., relative to Mexico, influences support for campus carry. Using a random sample of 1,447 college students from two Texas public universities, structural equation modeling results revealed that individuals more oriented toward U.S. culture were more likely to support campus carry than individuals oriented more toward Mexican culture. Besides this direct effect, acculturation also indirectly influenced support for campus carry through public attitudes toward the police. Specifically, individuals more oriented toward the U.S. held more favorable views of the police, which in turn predicted greater support for campus carry. Collectively, these findings suggest that cultural values influence support for public policies such as campus carry.

CITIZENS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE

The purpose of this study was to describe citizents attitudes toward the police. There were 101 respondents in Surabaya were involved and analyzed based on gender, age, education, and experience as a demographic variables. This quantitative research used descriptive and comparative survey methods. Attitudes Toward Police instrument which consists of seven items were used. Data was analyzed using Independent Sample-T Test. The results showed that there were no differences between men and women in attitudes toward the police. This study also shows that respondents with early adulthood, higher education, and never interact with the police show more positive attitude compared to respondents in their teens, high school education, and have interaction with the police.Keywords: Attitudes, Police, Society Abstrak. Riset ini bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran mengenai sikap masyarakat terhadap polisi. Responden yang berpartisipasi pada studi ini sejumlah 101 masyarakat Surabaya dan dianalisis berdasarkan empat variabel demografis yaitu gender, usia, pendidikan, pengalaman. Penelitian kuantitatif ini menggunakan survei deskriptif dan komparatif. Alat ukur yang digunakan adalah instrument Attitude Toward Police yang terdiri dari tujuh aitem. Analisis data dilakukan dengan metode Independent Sample-T Test. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada perbedaan sikap yang signifikan terhadap polisi antara laki-laki dengan perempuan. Penelitian ini juga menunjukkan bahwa responden dengan usia dewasa awal, Pendidikan perguruan tinggi, dan tidak pernah berinteraksi dengan polisi memiliki sikap yang lebih positif dibandingkan dengan responden usia remaja, Pendidikan SMA, dan pernah berinteraksi dengan polisi.Kata kunci: Sikap, Polisi, Masyarakat

Community police academies: Assessing the effect of education on public perceptions of police

Citizens often have misconceptions about law enforcement. This misinformation may contribute to distrust and heightened concerns about force and misconduct. Agencies attempt to address this by promoting procedural justice and providing community education on police practices. Thus far, past research has not been clear on the actual utility of community education on changing public perceptions. Recent funding has allowed one department to host 14 one-day community police academies (CPAs) to educate residents about policing topics to enhance trust and improve public perceptions of the department. The current project analyzes data collected CPA events to determine the effects on citizen knowledge of police procedures and the effect of this knowledge on attitudes toward the police. Results indicate that while CPAs were effective at educating citizens about practices and improving trust in law enforcement, the increased knowledge was not associated with improvements to public trust. The knowledge obtained at the CPA was, however, predictive of lower concerns about use of force. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.