Children's Perceptions of the Role of Police: A Qualitative Study
| Author | Romana Murfett,Helen Skouteris,Martine B. Powell |
| Published date | 01 December 2008 |
| Date | 01 December 2008 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1350/ijps.2008.10.4.099 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Children’s perceptions of the role of
police: a qualitative study
Martine B. Powell†, Helen Skouteris and Romana Murfett
†Corresponding author
All: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, 3125,
Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9244 6106; Fax: +61 3 9244 6858; email:
martine.powell@deakin.edu.au
Received 24 August 2007; revised and accepted 2 January 2008
Keywords: children’s perceptions of police, forensic interviews,
interviewing children
Martine Powell has held academic appoint-
ABSTRACT
ments at Deakin University since 1997 and was
A qualitative methodology, using open-ended
appointed to a personal chair in 2004. Her
questions, was employed to explore the percep-
research, supervision and teaching profile relate
tions of 112 children regarding the role of police.
primarily to the forensic psychology area. Pro-
The children, aged 5 to 6 and 7 to 8 years, were
fessor Powell has played a major role in the
asked to comment on what police officers do when
development of several postgraduate courses
they go to work, what direct and indirect experi-
including the Doctor of Psychology (Forensic)
ences they have had with the police, and the
and an online professional development unit for
positive and negative aspects of being a police
forensic interviewers (eg, police, lawyers). While
officer. The findings revealed that children
emphasise the punitive role of police; very few
Professor Powell has published in a broad range
children identified with non-punitive roles. This
of areas, her research focuses primarily on the
punitive theme was evident irrespective of the
issue of eyewitness testimony and forensic inter-
children’s experiences, age, and whether they
viewing of vulnerable groups (eg, children, per-
could recall television shows involving police. The
sons with an intellectual disability). Overall, the
practical implications of our findings for police
focus of her research has been the identification
relations with children, particularly in a forensic
of factors which make witness testimony more
interview context, are discussed.
or less reliable, as well as training strategies
that improve the competency of forensic
interviewers.
INTRODUCTION
Helen Skouteris is a researcher in public health
In any established community, police
in the area of childhood obesity prevention. Prior
organisations have a central role. However,
to coming to Deakin University, Dr Skouteris was
the public’s opinion of what that central
a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at
role should be has not always aligned with
La Trobe University, and had been a member of
police opinion (Ainsworth, 1995, p. 216).
International Journal of Police
academic staff in that school for 12 years.
In a UK Operational Policing Review
Science and Management,
Vol. 10 No. 4, 2008, pp. 464–473.
Romana Murfett is a researcher at Deakin Uni-
(Joint Consultative Committee, 1990, as
DOI: 10.1350/ijps.2008.10.4.099
versity, School of Psychology.
cited in Ainsworth, 1995) the public were
Page 464
Powell, Skouteris and Murfett
clear in wanting a police force with a
about the humanities often include stereo-
‘human face’. In contrast, the police valued
types, such as history being a struggle
the use of technology and fast response
between the ‘baddies’ and the ‘goodies’
times in dealing with law enforcement and
(Gardner, 1991), and that such misconcep-
crime control. With crimes becoming
tions can persist even among older adoles-
much more sophisticated and complex, the
cent children (DiSessa, 1982), accurate
police role in Australia, and indeed in other
perceptions of the police need to be estab-
Western countries, has developed and
lished in the early years of childhood.
changed over time to meet the demands
Limited prior research has examined
and the needs of governments and the com-
children’s experiences of police in general
munity (see Wang & Li, 2005). It is not
and what they perceive the police role to
surprising therefore, that public perceptions
be. In a qualitative exploration of children’s
of and attitudes toward the police have been
perceptions of personal safety issues, Briggs
researched extensively in most Western
and Hawkins (1993) reported that 5- to
countries such as the US (Brown & Bene-
8-year-olds felt the police were far too busy
dict, 2002), and Australia (Boni, 1995),
‘arresting robbers, taking them to jail, and
with the first survey to rate citizens’ opin-
dealing with accidents’ (p. 6) to come to the
ions of police being developed over 70 years
rescue of a lost child. Wright et al. (1995)
also interviewed children using both cued-
ago (Parratt, 1936). Moreover, several
recall and closed questions, but they did so
police organisations in Australia, and other
in the context of exploring real-life or
Western countries, have made attempts to
television schemata for two occupations,
provide community visits whereby police
policing and nursing. While children of all
officers are available to discuss the work
ages felt that police on television were more
they do with the public (Hopkins, 1994;
involved in dealing with crimes and catch-
Hopkins, Hewstone, & Hantzi, 1992).
ing criminals, were more sex-typed and
Perceptions of the police are of interest
more exciting than real police officers, both
to governments because public distrust or
television and real police were perceived to
disapproval of the police may impact neg-
be equally likely to get hurt and use guns.
atively on the enforcement of law and
In a more recent study, Low and Durkin
order. Citizens are less likely to contact the
(2001) examined children’s perceptions of
police or ask for help if they doubt the
police using an experimental design. They
professional integrity of police officers
randomly divided children of various ages
(hence compromising their safety), and
to a television or ‘real-life’ condition and
negative attitudes of the police can lead to
then showed children a series of 15-second
hostility toward the police (eg, urban riots)
clips from different police dramas. The clips
with deleterious effects (Brown & Benedict,
depicted four overrepresented police activ-
2002). Moreover, given that community
ities (eg, shooting guns, high-speed pursuit)
policing can only be successful if the com-
and four underrepresented police activities
munity works in partnership with the
(eg, interviewing, paper work). After each
police to prevent neighbourhood crimes
clip the children were asked to indicate on a
(Giles, Willemyns, Gallois, & Chernikoff
five-point Likert scale (never to always)
Anderson, 2006), the importance of pos-
how often police conducted the activity
itive and accurate perceptions of the role of
depicted. The children were also asked to
police are critical. This is true not only of
indicate on a five-point Likert scale (never
adults but children as well. Given that we
to every week) ‘how often they had viewed
know young children’s preconceptions
police shows in the last six months’ (p. 203).
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Children’s perceptions of the role of police
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