Police procedural justice for arrested youth in Hong Kong: the narratives of guardians and legal practitioners

While an extensive body of literature has scrutinized police-youth encounters from the vantage points of law enforcement and the youth, the perspective of a significant third party remains inadequately explored. This cohort encompasses professionals such as social workers, educators, parents, and legal practitioners, all of whom hold a legitimate stake in observing police-youth interactions, notably during interrogations. Concurrently, their pivotal role in the process of legal socialization has been identified as markedly influential in shaping young individuals' perceptions of police legitimacy. This study elucidates the perceptions and viewpoints of these significant adults concerning the dispensation of procedural justice elements, namely neutrality, respect, voice, and accountability. This inquiry was operationalized through focused group interviews involving 6 parents, 18 social workers, 5 educators, and 2 legal practitioners. Applying a combined deductive and inductive thematic approach, we analyzed the qualitative data amassed from the respondents, leveraging the advanced functionalities of QRS NVivo Plus (V12) software. These findings not only augment the existing scholarly corpus (e.g., by extending the conceptualization of police procedural justice from a third-party perspective) but also bear substantive implications for policymakers, practitioners in the helping professions, and legal professionals in executing their custodial and supportive responsibilities within societal frameworks.