Police Corruption: Criminal Justice Majors Perspectives on the Origins of Misbehavior

Abstract

Previous studies (Glazer & Torres, 2022) have demonstrated that the misconduct behaviors of the police can be buffered by education and training as well as reinforcing social values, which can help adverse police actions such as aggression and violence. The purpose of this current research is to understand what factors of police training and being in a police environment and subculture can contribute to rising levels of corruption. Using a mixed methods approach, this study looked at the levels of potential corruption individuals would commit or justify through the responses of college students majoring in criminal justice. Demographics will be collected to identify significances between this and their responses to hypothetical situations that contain corruption. Media consumption and political affiliation are two notable pieces of demographic data that will be examined. Through the measures of the McCormack-Fishman Police Improbity Questionnaire (M-FPIQ) and the Perceptions of Police Scale (POPS), it is sought to find significant results in the level of corruption based on hypothetical situations and their responses to them. Along with that, semi-structured interviews are to be conducted with participants, seeking to gain personal perspectives and insight into how corruption develops during an individual’s beginning years in a law enforcement career. It is anticipated that these results will show that individuals will justify certain unethical situations based on scores from previous measures mentioned. There is also an anticipation of themes of corruption, obedience, conforming, and specifically peer pressure present during the interviews. Implications in the research that can be further explored include completing a longitudinal study, as results can change over time due to factors like media consumption and can change one’s perspective on an issue.

Start Time

16-4-2025 1:30 PM

End Time

16-4-2025 4:00 PM

Presentation Type

Poster

Presentation Category

Social Sciences

Student Type

Undergraduate Student

Faculty Mentor

Adam Denton

Faculty Department

Psychology

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Apr 16th, 1:30 PM Apr 16th, 4:00 PM

Police Corruption: Criminal Justice Majors Perspectives on the Origins of Misbehavior

Previous studies (Glazer & Torres, 2022) have demonstrated that the misconduct behaviors of the police can be buffered by education and training as well as reinforcing social values, which can help adverse police actions such as aggression and violence. The purpose of this current research is to understand what factors of police training and being in a police environment and subculture can contribute to rising levels of corruption. Using a mixed methods approach, this study looked at the levels of potential corruption individuals would commit or justify through the responses of college students majoring in criminal justice. Demographics will be collected to identify significances between this and their responses to hypothetical situations that contain corruption. Media consumption and political affiliation are two notable pieces of demographic data that will be examined. Through the measures of the McCormack-Fishman Police Improbity Questionnaire (M-FPIQ) and the Perceptions of Police Scale (POPS), it is sought to find significant results in the level of corruption based on hypothetical situations and their responses to them. Along with that, semi-structured interviews are to be conducted with participants, seeking to gain personal perspectives and insight into how corruption develops during an individual’s beginning years in a law enforcement career. It is anticipated that these results will show that individuals will justify certain unethical situations based on scores from previous measures mentioned. There is also an anticipation of themes of corruption, obedience, conforming, and specifically peer pressure present during the interviews. Implications in the research that can be further explored include completing a longitudinal study, as results can change over time due to factors like media consumption and can change one’s perspective on an issue.