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Do interactions with the police correlate with identity formation? Examining the relationship between police legitimacy, procedural justice, and self-identification over time

Author

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  • Bolaji, Qassim
  • Metcalfe, Christi

Abstract

The main goal of this study is to explore the temporal relationship between procedural justice, legitimacy, and self-identification. More specifically, we anticipated that changes in procedural justice and legitimacy perceptions may be linked to changes in various aspects of self-identification and criminal cognition over time, including moral disengagement, perceived personal rewards of crime, prosocial aspirations, and self-esteem. A consideration of this interrelationship is relevant given that changes in the cognition and self-identification of offenders often accompany desistance from crime. Relying on data from the Pathways to Desistance study, the current project adopted a longitudinal approach to investigate how within-individual changes in police legitimacy and procedural justice are tied to changes in self-identification among a sample of serious offenders. Results showed that positive changes in legitimacy attitudes and procedural justice were related to prosocial changes in self-identification and cognition These results matter for better understanding the role that legal attitudes and police-citizen interactions play in how offenders think about themselves and the law.

Suggested Citation

  • Bolaji, Qassim & Metcalfe, Christi, 2026. "Do interactions with the police correlate with identity formation? Examining the relationship between police legitimacy, procedural justice, and self-identification over time," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:102:y:2026:i:c:s0047235225002387
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2025.102589
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrew Bell & Malcolm Fairbrother & Kelvyn Jones, 2019. "Fixed and random effects models: making an informed choice," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 1051-1074, March.
    2. Kimberly Kaiser & Michael D. Reisig, 2019. "Legal Socialization and Self-Reported Criminal Offending: The Role of Procedural Justice and Legal Orientations," Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 135-154, March.
    3. Colin Bolger, P. & Walters, Glenn D., 2019. "The relationship between police procedural justice, police legitimacy, and people's willingness to cooperate with law enforcement: A meta-analysis," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 93-99.
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