Parental education, punitiveness, partisanship, and perceptions of the police among Hispanic college students in a Hispanic community

This study presents survey data on perceptions of the police collected from a convenience sample of 208 Hispanic college students residing in a predominantly Hispanic community situated near the U.S.-Mexico border. Regression analyses underscore the complexity of the relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes toward the police among young Hispanic adults. Whereas household income did not significantly impact satisfaction with the police, paternal educational attainment had a positive impact on perceptions of the police, while maternal educational attainment had the opposite effect. Additionally, the students’ genders and preferences for punitive crime control measures were significantly correlated with their confidence in the police, but (contrary to prior research) the students’ political preferences were not. The implications of these findings are discussed.