Race, Gender, and the Perception of Recently Experiencing Unfair Treatment by the Police: Exploratory Results From an All-Black Sample

Abstract

Using a national poll with a representative sample of Blacks (N ¼ 854), this article examined the experiences of those Blacks who believe that they had recently been treated unfairly by the police. More specifically, the research examined the role of gender in the perception of unfair treatment by the police. The results of the analysis from the full sample found that age (being older), region (being from the South), and being female decreased the likelihood of reporting having been recently treated unfairly by the police. To examine the differences between Black men and women, the authors conducted a split-sample binary logistic regression analysis. The analysis revealed that Black women who resided in the South were less likely to report experiencing unfair treatment by the police. For Black men, being older and having a higher income resulted in the reduced likelihood of the perception of having been treated unfairly. The implications of the research also are considered.

“They Can’t Search Her”: How Gender Imbalances in the Police Force Contribute to Perceptions of Procedural Unfairness

“…The men and women in the study reported that females were targeted, stopped, and searched less frequently. They were also treated with more leniency than their male counterparts, often escaping detection and/ or arrest (Gabbidon et al, 2011; Steffensmeier & Allan, 1988; Stolzenberg & Alessio, 2004). On the other hand, the men described being the focal point of gang and drug suppression efforts reporting a greater number of stops, searches, and arrests than the women (Durán, 2008; Egley, 2002).…”

“…Women are processed by the criminal justice system at substantially lower rates than men, and although women make up approximately half of the population of the United States, they make up only 23% of arrestees and account for only 7% of incarcerated inmates (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BOJ), 2015). Furthermore, evidence has shown that police are more lenient with female offenders (Gabbidon et al, 2011; Steffensmeier & Allan, 1988; Stolzenberg & Alessio, 2004; Visher, 1983). For example, research has demonstrated that police give fewer citations (Blalock, DeVaro, Leventhal, & Simon, 2007; Engel, Calnon, Liu & Johnson, 2004; Farrell, McDevitt, Bailey, Andresen, & Pierce, 2004) and search and arrest women less frequently (Engel et al, 2004, 2008; Farrell et al, 2004; Novich & Hunt, 2017; Smith, Makarios, & Alpert, 2006).…”

“…Research suggests that gender imbalances in police forces can significantly affect individuals’ experiences when interacting with police (Novich, 2015; Novich & Hunt, 2017; Brunson & Miller, 2006; Fratello, Rengifo, & Trone, 2013; Gabbidon, Higgins, & Potter, 2011; Visher, 1983). Of importance, yet rarely examined, is the extent to which predominantly male police forces can simultaneously send signals of procedural justice and procedural injustice (Tyler, 2006).…”

“…Previous literature identifies that officer bias, given limited oversight and discretion, often dictates face-to-face encounters (Katz & Webb, 2006). This generally results in male and female suspects having vastly different experiences when interacting with police officers (Brunson & Miller, 2006; Durán, 2008; Gabbidon et al, 2011). Notwithstanding elements of discretion, officers are also guided by departmental policies and restrictions.…”

Is perception of the mainstream legal system homogeneous across ethnic groups?

“…Information obtained from interviews or group discussions with participants from different ethnic backgrounds could be valuable in the broader understanding of these findings and in the formulation of interventions and promotion of compliance with the laws and rules set out by the local legal authorities and institutions. It would be also interesting to examine perceptions of the legal system by gender, since some recent work has suggested the existence of differences among men and women in defining their experiences with police (Gabbidon, Higgins, & Potter, 2011).…”