Violence as a socializing factor in the construction of police legitimacy: a study with São Paulo adolescents, Brazil

Abstract

This article investigates how experiences of urban violence and police violence are associated with adolescents’ opinions regarding the legitimacy of the police. Data came from a survey with 724 participants born in 2005, residents of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Direct and indirect effects of experiences of violence and police contact on adolescents’ evaluations of police were estimated by Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicate that aggressive and illegal policing, as well as exposure to violence in the neighborhood, erodes confidence in police legitimacy.