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Procedural justice and legal socialization among juvenile offenders: The role of defense attorneys
Author(s) -
Shook Jeffrey J.,
Goodkind Sara,
Kolivoski Karen M.,
Ballentine Kess L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12445
Subject(s) - extant taxon , legal psychology , perception , psychology , economic justice , socialization , juvenile , criminology , legal profession , criminal justice , social psychology , law , political science , genetics , neuroscience , evolutionary biology , biology
Research is increasingly focusing on how young people interpret their experiences with the legal system and whether and how this shapes attitudes and beliefs about the system. This study adds to the extant literature by examining the relationship between perceptions of procedural justice and attitudes toward the law and legal system for a sample of youth ( N = 227) in residential placements. Specifically, it focuses on how youths’ perceptions of their defense attorneys shape their attitudes toward the legal system. Results demonstrate that youth who feel they were treated more fairly by their defense attorneys viewed the police and courts as more legitimate. White youth viewed the police as more legitimate than did youth of color and girls viewed courts as less legitimate than did boys. Attitudes toward the legal system were also related to other contextual characteristics.