Abstract
Analysis of attitudes toward the use of force by police finds that in 1991 70% of white and 43% of black respondents “approve of a policeman striking an adult male citizen” under some circumstances. A pattern is found of groups with greater power, status and advantages (whites, males, the more educated and the more wealthy) being more likely to favor police use of force than are less privileged groups. Other factors found to have significant net relationships with support for police violence include, beliefs about personality characteristics of minorities and poor people, religious conservatism, having been the victim of violence, gun ownership, views on appropriate child rearing goals or values, and feelings about courts treatment and sentencing of criminals.
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The data used in this manuscript came from the General Social Survey File, and were collected by the National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago.
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Arthur, J.A., Case, C.E. Race, class and support for police use of force. Crime Law Soc Change 21, 167–182 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01307910
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01307910