After reading this chapter, you should be able to

• Describe the roles of law enforcement
• Explain why it is difficult to find police contact data for youth under the age of 18
• Compare and contrast police interactions with juveniles and with adults
• Identify the strategies for improving law enforcement interactions with youth in general and during traumatizing events
• Summarize the two major Supreme Court decisions on youth in police custody
• Outline the main ways that policing of youth involves discretion
• List the factors related to police use of force
• Analyze the relationship between policing and unequal treatment based on race, ethnicity, class, gender identification, and sexual orientation
• Articulate the type of programs that exist to improve police–youth interactions