Why Children Follow Rules

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.