In England and Wales, trust in the police has suffered from relentless reports about poor
service and serious officer misbehaviour. The contribution of media, especially social media,
to reduction in police trust is unclear. In the current study, students at five universities in
London and Wales completed a questionnaire to identify factors influencing student trust in
the police in England and Wales. Results highlighted an association of social media, of
television, film, and novels with trust in the police. When it comes to aspects of perceived
police behaviour, students were especially concerned about response to emergencies, to
domestic abuse and about officers’ attitude towards women. The results suggest that police
trust may be improved through working with media and by improving how officers interact with citizens, especially women.
The project results in unique insights which can influence how the police informs the public
and how it tries to address the needs of young people. In its reach, it goes beyond previous
studies by the author, for example:
Machura, Stefan, Almjnoni, Salim, Vavrik, Boris, and Williams, Einir (2022). Welsh
Nationalism, Language and Students’ Trust in the UK Police. International Journal of Politics,
Culture, and Society, 35, 67–84. Online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-020-09379-z.
Data have been sampled in February 2023.