Why Children Follow Rules Legal Socialization and the Development of Legitimacy

As with all social institutions, learning about law and how to relate to it is an important part of growing up. In Why Children Follow Rules, Tom R. Tyler and Rick Trinkner focus on legal socialization, the process by which children and adolescents form their orientation toward the law, and outline what is known about the process across three related, but distinct, contexts: family, school, and the juvenile justice system. They emphasize the degree to which individuals develop their orientations toward law upon values of responsibility and obligation, as opposed to fear of punishment. They further argue that when individuals experience authority that is fair, respectful, and aware of the limits of power, they are more likely to consent and voluntarily follow directives. Yet, strong pressures and popular support for the exercise of authority based on dominance and force persist. Given the low levels of public trust and confidence in the police, as well as the legal system in general, Why Children Follow Rules offers an invaluable tool for understanding how people come to understand their relationship with the law.

Tom R. Tyler is the Macklin Fleming Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology at Yale University.

Rick Trinkner is Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University.

Acknowledgements
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: Legal Socialization and the Elements of Legitimacy
Chapter 2: General Approaches to Legal Socialization
Chapter 3: Legal Socialization across the Life Course
Part II: Models of Legal Socialization
Chapter 4: Developing Values and Attitudes about the Law
Chapter 5: The Development of Legal Reasoning
Chapter 6: Neurological Development and Legal Competency
Part III: Legal Socialization across the Spheres of Childhood and Adolescence
Chapter 7: Legal Socialization in the Family
Chapter 8: Legal Socialization in the School
Chapter 9: Legal Socialization in the Juvenile Justice System
Part IV: Conclusions & Final Thoughts
Notes
References
Index