Race/Ethnicity, Area and Willingness to Call Police

Using survey data from a large national sample of U.S. residents, this study examines how and why individuals’ race/ethnicity and perceived area crime risk influence their willingness to call police. Structural equation modeling tests a combined parallel-sequential multiple-mediator model that ties...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Wu, Yuning (Author) ; Miethe, Terance D. 1953- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2024
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2024, Volume: 49, Issue: 1, Pages: 121-144
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Police Legitimacy
Procedural Justice
Calling police
Area
Race/ethnicity
Description
Summary:Using survey data from a large national sample of U.S. residents, this study examines how and why individuals’ race/ethnicity and perceived area crime risk influence their willingness to call police. Structural equation modeling tests a combined parallel-sequential multiple-mediator model that ties the normative (e.g., police legitimacy) and instrumental (e.g., concern about crime) perspectives of calling police to the profound issues of race, area, and policing. A wide range of individual sociodemographic traits and experience with crime and the police were also controlled in the analysis. The results reveal a clear distinction between Blacks and Whites in their likelihood of seeking police assistance, but no difference between Hispanics and Whites in these intentions. While the normative model highlighting police legitimacy best explains the racial gap in calling police, the instrumental model accentuating concern about crime better accounts for the area influences on willingness to call police.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/s12103-022-09691-8