http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-a0035663.pdf
No pay wall currently.
I will add that I find the title misleading. My definition of "innocence" tracks pretty closely with dictionary.com's: .
1. the quality or state of being innocent; freedom from sin or moral wrong.
2. freedom from legal or specific wrong; guiltlessness:
3. simplicity; absence of guile or cunning; naiveté.
The article's definition has more to do being "childlike" in the sense of "needing protection," probed by a series of 7 questions:
"How much do ___ (e.g., 10- to 13-year olds) need protection?”;
“How much do ___ need care?”;
“How well can ___ care for themselves?” (reverse coded);
“How much are ___ a danger to others?” (reverse coded);
“How much are ___ a danger to themselves?” (reverse coded);
“How cute are ___?”; and
“How innocent are ___?"
Most white kids I know from age 10 to 18 are fairly sheltered. Many are downright emotionally needy and helpless at age 16 and 17. That group has been described as having an extended adolescence, extending in many cases to their early 20s (or longer if grad or professional school is in the future). Not all of the whites fall in this category. Overall I'd say they're not innocent, but certainly can't take care of themselves.
Most black kids I know in that bracket aren't overtly emotionally needy and helpless at age 16 or 17, or don't let on that they are. They've mostly had harder lives and while I don't think they're less innocent than the white kids, I'd rate them in general as "less innocent" by the authors' definition. Even if by my own definition I'd rate them as no less innocent than their white peers.
While the "danger" questions are loaded--we're talking media stereotypes, generalized crime stats and reports, and personal experience here--I don't know what "How cute are _____?" has to do with either definition of "innocence".
The "dangerous" questions are good questions (well, maybe not the "cute" one) and gets at perceptions of violence and how people react to white versus black versus Latino youth. I'm not sure the article avoids begging the question with those, however. Those who are perceived to be more dangerous and perceived to be older and therefore more likely to be commit felonies? (Resulting in a great amount of circularity.)
Definitions matter.
Don't expect this to be negatively reviewed or critiqued. Reviews of this I've seen blindly cite that they had 128 female college-aged participants for part of the study. The article says they had 123 participants, of which "96% (128)" were girls--and then gives a racial breakdown of the subject pool that adds up to 123. 96% of 123 is 118, so the reviews I've seen cite an obvious typo as fact in order to get to the salacious and advocatorial bits.
= new reply since forum marked as read
