Toward a Developmental and Comparative Conflict Theory of Race, Ethnicity, and Perceptions of Criminal Injustice

The perception of criminal injustice is common among disadvantaged American racial and ethnic minority groups. This perception of injustice is especially common for highly educated and socially and economically successful African-Americans. It is also well established that encounters between citizens and the police play an important part in such perceptions of racial injustice. Yet, there is much about these perceptions that remains unknown. For example, perceptions of injustice can be more acute among more, rather than less, advantaged minority group members. This is a conundrum that poses important explanatory and methodological challenges. We believe that a comparative conflict theory of crime and punishment can help to address this puzzle. We first elaborate a comparative conflict theory by discussing the age structure and relative racial and ethnic gradients of perceptions of criminal injustice. We then examine the nature of police contacts that influence the development of these perceptions and the strategies of minority citizens for responding to their contacts with the police. Finally, we speculate about the broader developmental, comparative, and societal implications of minority perceptions of criminal injustice for racial and ethnic relations in America more generally. Our goal is to outline the foundations for a developmental and comparative conflict theory that can inform research and policy within, as well as beyond, the field of crime and punishment.