Trust in the police during the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong: psychosocial factors of perceived procedural and distributive justice

Heng Choon Chan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Hong Kong has experienced social unrest in response to the proposed anti-extradition bill since early June 2019. Demonstrations and rallies have often ended in violent clashes between protestors and the police. Based on a sample of 1024 Hong Kong adults, this study explored the psychosocial factors underlying public perceptions of police procedural and distributive justice among Hong Kongers. Testing the propositions of several criminological theories (i.e., neutralization theory, the general aggression model, general strain theory, and self-control theory), the findings indicated that men reported significantly more positive general perceptions of police procedural and distributive justice, better general mental health, and more negative attitudes toward violence than women did. Young adults perceived significantly higher levels of police general, procedural, and distributive justice than did their middle-aged and older counterparts, who reported significantly better general mental health and greater self-control. Multivariate analyses indicated that across all age groups, better general mental health, greater self-control, and more negative attitudes toward violence were significantly associated with positive perceptions of police general, procedural, and distributive justice. This study concludes with practical guidance for enhancing public perceptions of police procedural and distributive fairness.

Original languageEnglish
Article number6495
Number of pages20
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume19
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 May 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: This research project (Project Number: SR2020.A1.027) was funded by the special round of the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme from the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

  • anti-extradition movement
  • Hong Kong
  • perceptions
  • police distributive justice
  • police procedural justice
  • psychosocial factors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pollution
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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