Perceptions of police: an empirical study of Chinese college students

摘要

Purpose - This study aims to examine Chinese college students' perceptions of police.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Using survey data collected from over 400 college students inrntwo cities, the study empirically analyzes the global and specific perceptions of police among Chineserncollege students and factors that accounted for the variation in Chinese college students' evaluations ofrnpolice. The study incorporates a broader range of explanatory variables to explain Chinese collegernstudents' attitudes toward the police, including demographic characteristics, crime and criminalrnjustice experience, perceptions of quality of life, and locality. The study reviews research on publicrnperceptions of police published in Chinese academic journals.rnFindings - College students' global satisfaction with police as well as their specific evaluations ofrnpolice fairness, effectiveness, and integrity were significantly related to their crime and criminal justicernexperience, perceived quality of life, and locality. Students' background characteristics only had arnweak effect on attitudes toward police.rnResearch limitations/implications - More empirical research is warranted to gauge the extent ofrnChinese satisfaction with police and police performance. Future research should continuernincorporating crime and criminal justice factors into analysis.rnPractical implications - Findings of the study provide Chinese police administrators with usefulrnreferences and directions to improve police-community relations..rnOriginality/value - This study represents one of the few attempts to empirically assess Chineserncitizens' perceptions of police. It examines not just Chinese college students' global satisfaction withrnthe police, but also their more specific views of various areas of police performance including fairness,rneffectiveness, and integrity.