Understanding perceived legitimacy of correctional officers among male juvenile offenders in China: From a system perspective

Abstract

Public agencies in the criminal justice system (i.e., law enforcement agencies, the courts, and the corrections) need legitimacy for their survival. According to system theory, the functions performed by one system agency can exert significant influences on the others. Therefore, the effect of perceived legitimacy is supposed to intertwine with different agencies. Yet, the current literature on the impact of perceived legitimacy primarily focuses on one single agency - law enforcement in Western studies. Using longitudinal data collected in China from 514 juvenile offenders in a juvenile correctional facility for males, the present study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the interconnections of perceived legitimacy across the three agencies. Findings derived from the current study suggest that the perceived legitimacy of one agency had a significant effect on the subsequent agencies. However, the influence was dynamic and temporary.