African American males form their opinions of the justice system from various sources. Some have had direct experiences with police, while others have relied on indirect experiences, such as the experiences of their friends. Whatever the case, recent killings of unarmed African American males have forced parents to prepare their children at early ages for potential encounters with police. During adolescence, individuals are gaining awareness of their surroundings and where they fit in society. Thus, the interactions they have with their environment affect how they perceive themselves and their roles in society. Utilizing an ecological approach, it is important to examine the relationship between an adolescent and the macrosystem, which encompasses laws and policies. Legal socialization is the process by which individuals acquire beliefs about rules and rule violation by internalizing the codified, normative rules of a society (Cohn, Trinkner, Rebellon, Van Gundy, & Cole, 2012). Two components of Fagan and Tyler’s (2005) legal socialization framework are legitimacy and cynicism. Legitimacy is considered to be the feeling that one should obey institutional authority (Fagan & Tyler, 2005). Legal cynicism describes the notion that when individuals do not feel laws are legitimate, it is more acceptable not to conform to the established laws (Fagan & Tyler, 2005). This was a study of the perceptions of justice and legal socialization processes among college-age African American males. The purpose of this study was to gain insight from current college-age males about how they formed their perceptions of the justice system. In particular, the study sought to explore (a) what African American male college students believe about the legitimacy of the procedural justice process, (b) whether African American male college students believe that experiences with police in the course of their development have influenced their views of cynicism, (c) how African American male college students describe their intentions to prepare their sons for possible encounters with police, (d) how African American male college students describe their experiences with police, and (e) how African American male college students have formed their beliefs about police and the criminal justice system. Data for this study were collected in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of an 11-question Likert-scale survey that asked questions pertaining to the participants’ views about legitimacy, cynicism, their direct and indirect experiences with police, and how they would prepare their sons for potential police encounters. Phase 2 consisted of an optional follow-up interview where participants who took part in the Phase 1 survey could provide additional responses to further explain the answers they provided during the survey. Forty-two (42) participants completed the Phase 1 survey, and 15 participants completed the Phase 2 interviews. Findings indicated that most participants believed in legitimacy, although in varying degrees. For example, participants believed in obeying institutional authority, but expected to be treated fairly in return. Participants also noted the difference between obeying and trusting institutional authority. Twenty-nine (29) of 42 participants expressed cynicism. However, others did not, and they believed that the justice system was fair. Participants also noted the importance of being educated regarding their rights and used this as a marker to determine whether they would comply. Finally, participants indicated that their parents had a great deal to do with helping to shape their perceptions of justice. They indicated they would prepare their sons for potential encounters with police in many of the ways that their parents prepared them.
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