Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
Identity-linked perceptions of the police among African American juvenile offenders: a developmental perspective
Joanna M Lee1, Laurence Steinberg, Alex R Piquero
1Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. jml4bw@virginia.edu
Abstract:
Ethnic identity development can play a role in youths' perceptions and attitudes concerning police, but this process has not been explored in delinquent samples. In this article, we examine how youths' perceptions of police legitimacy and levels of legal cynicism are related to processes of ethnic identity development. Participants were 561 black youth ages 14-18 (12% female) who were adjudicated of a felony or serious misdemeanor. Data were taken from semi-annual interviews conducted over 3 years. Increased ethnic identity exploration was related to positive perceptions of police legitimacy and lower legal cynicism. Higher ethnic identity affirmation predicted higher perceived legitimacy over time, but affirmation was not related to legal cynicism after accounting for psychosocial maturity. This study provides evidence that ethnic identity development operates similarly among high risk youth as in non-delinquent samples, and that it is connected to beliefs that can have implications for juvenile offenders' future compliance with the law.
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture

