New article alert: Testing legal socialization mechanisms for youth legal cynicism

Dr. Cavanagh's latest article, How do Adolescents Develop Legal Cynicism? A Test of Legal Socialization Mechanisms Among Youth Involved in the Justice System, was recently published in Justice Quarterly. Youth-mother dyads were interviewed following their son’s first arrest. Path modeling results suggest that youths’ legal cynicism derives from their own perceived treatment by police rather than from mothers’ legal cynicism. Additionally, youth who perceived the police to have treated them more fairly reported less legal cynicism and in turn reoffended less. Findings advance our understanding of the etiology of legal cynicism and can inform best practices for police interactions with youth.