Studying the Correlates of Adolescents’ Trust in the Police: A Conflict Theory Approach

Abstract

This study examined high school students’ trust in police in from a conflict theory point of view by using Ungdata Vestland County package (N=7,796). Four models were tested by employing binary logistic regression analysis. Seven out of eight variables of conflict theory were significant to predict students’ trust in the police, but conflict theory alone accounted for a low level of variation in predicting trust in the police (5%). In Model 2, variables related to victimization, safety feelings, and antisocial behavior alone were significant in predicting students’ trust in police.  This variable group happened to be two times more powerful to predict students’ trust in the police compared to conflict theory variables. The third model assessed the capacity of social capital variables to predict students’ trust in the police. Among social capital variables, school well-being, family relations, and quality of life were also significant predictors of students’ trust in the police.  In the final model, when controlled with other related factors, the effect of conflict theory somewhat weakened but five out of eight variables were still strongly related to trust in the police and the final model accounted for a 15% variation in the trust in police. The significance of the study, theoretical and policy implications and future direction was discussed in advance.