Procedural justice, trust and obligation to obey, and willingness to cooperate with the police: A test of the process-based model of regulation using a sample of detained youth in the United States

Procedural justice and legitimacy are increasingly recognized as central to policing. While prior research has established the justice–legitimacy link, most studies focus on general adult populations, with limited attention to system-involved individuals and even less to youth. This study examines the applicability of the process-based model by analyzing detained juveniles’ (n = 377) perceptions of procedural justice, trust and obligation to obey, and willingness to cooperate with police. Data collected from 2011 to 2013 show strong support for the framework, demonstrating that perceptions of procedural justice, trust, and obligation to obey significantly shape detained youths’ willingness to cooperate with the police.