This work especially explores the impact of social media use by students on their trust as well as the effect recent police scandals had.
Professor Machura writes:
In England and Wales, trust in the police has suffered from relentless reports about poor service and serious officer misbehaviour. The contribution of media, especially social media, to reduction in police trust is unclear. In the current study, students at five universities in London and Wales completed a questionnaire to identify factors influencing student trust in the police in England and Wales. Results highlighted an association of social media, of television, film, and novels with trust in the police. When it comes to aspects of perceived police behaviour, students were especially concerned about response to emergencies, to domestic abuse and about officers attitude towards women. Key is the perceived response to sexual abuse. The results suggest that police trust may be improved through work with media and by improving how officers interact with citizens, especially women.
The project results in unique insights which can influence how the police informs the public and how it tries to address the needs of young people.
