RT Article
T1 The Threat of Appearing Racist: Stereotype Threat and Support for Coercion Among Australian Police Officers
JF Criminal justice and behavior
VO 48
IS 6
SP 776
OP 790
A1 McCarthy, Molly
A2 Trinkner, Rick
A2 Goff, Phillip Atiba
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1757685561
AB Recent research in the United States has argued that the threat of confirming the “racist cop” stereotype may paradoxically increase the propensity for coercive policing by depressing officers’ self-legitimacy. The current study aimed to assess the influence of the threat of the “racist cop” stereotype on officers’ self-legitimacy and their attitudes toward force in an Australian policing jurisdiction. An online survey was completed by 306 frontline officers in Queensland, Australia. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the influence of stereotype threat on officers’ attitudes toward force, and the extent to which this is mediated by perceptions of self-legitimacy. The findings confirmed previous findings, with increased officer perceptions of stereotype threat associated with increased support for coercive policing, mediated by reduced self-legitimacy. The findings are discussed with reference to how the validity and salience of the “racist cop” stereotype can be diminished.
K1 Racial Disparities
K1 Self-legitimacy
K1 stereotype threat
K1 Use of force
K1 police coercion
DO 10.1177/0093854821993513