Evaluative and affective perception of the Russian police by the youth (based on sociological research)

The study reviews the evaluative and affective perception of the police image by the students in the southern regions of Russia (Kuban State University, Southern Federal University, and Adygea State University). The results of the sociological survey allow one to determine the basic characteristics of police activities from the standpoint of their compliance with the social expectations of the youth and the students’ perception of the fact of interaction with police servants. Evaluative and affective component of the police image in the youth consciousness demonstrates the respondents’ legal cultural attitudes of purposeful nature. The young people can assess the activities of the law enforcement agencies in terms of the priority of law, the protection of civil rights and freedoms, and the independence from other structures. At the same time, the discrepancy between the general and specific legal knowledge shows the insufficient level of students’ cognitive representations on the standards of interaction between police servants and citizens.