Understanding and Reducing Racial Bias in Police-Civilian Interactions

Abstract

Police brutality is consistently cited as a main concern of sociology and criminal justice students, yet many students have not learned about the important differences between implicit, or subconscious bias, and overt racism. This activity teaches students about bias, including putting them in touch with their own bias. Students complete an implicit...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Criminal Justice

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Medium

Usage Notes

This activity works effectively in an introduction to criminal justice, introduction to sociology, or introduction to psychology course; it could also be adapted for more advanced classes in these subject areas.

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Understand explicit and implicit biases
2. Assess their own biases using two social psychological bias measures
3. Apply the conditions of the contact hypothesis to develop a plan to reduce police-civilian bias

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students will learn about bias through lecture and class discussion, and display their understanding through creation of a bias-reduction plan
2. Bias will be assessed through explicit and implicit measures derived from social psychological tools. These will provide students with knowledge of their own biases as well as an understanding of how bias is measured.
3. Students will work with partners to use the conditions of the contact hypothesis (see PPt slides) to develop a bias reduction plan for police and civilians. They will critique and discuss each other's plans.