Police in the Classroom: A Three-Wave Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Adolescents’ perceptions of police legitimacy are central to the effective functioning of the legal system. When young people see the police as trustworthy and legitimate, they are more likely to regulate their own behavior, reducing reliance on coercion, deterrence and intrusive enforcement. This study examines whether police officers can cultivate such legitimacy through educational engagement in school classrooms. We conducted a three-wave cluster-randomized controlled trial across 81 English schools, where police officers delivered lessons on drugs and the law to students aged 13–15. Grounded in procedural justice and legal socialization theory, the intervention sought to model respectful, bounded authority in a classroom setting. Employing three complementary analytic strategies—a standard RCT, block-randomized design, and longitudinal panel analysis—we found robust evidence that police-led lessons enhanced students' perceptions of police fairness and deepened their understanding of legal concepts, including 'intent to supply'. These improvements persisted for at least ten weeks post-intervention and remained consistent across demographic subgroups. While we observed positive trends in legitimacy perceptions and willingness to cooperate with police, these effects were more modest and variable. We conclude with the idea that procedurally just engagement in the classroom can help socialize adolescents into a consensual rather than coercive relationship with police, though building institutional legitimacy may require sustained interaction beyond single educational encounters.