The theory of planned behavior and policing: how attitudes about behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control affect the discretionary enforcement decisions of police officers

Ishoy, Glen A.

doi:10.1080/1478601x.2016.1225362

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Also largely absent were theory‐informed trainings. Grounding training programs in behavioural change, organisational and adult learning theories may help to better explain and predict outcomes, which can be especially valuable when evidence is limited . Thus, future training programs may benefit from the application of theories and evidence‐based approaches that have been similarly applied to other programs attempting to shift police behaviours .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A scoping review of harm reduction training for police officers

Khorasheh

Naraine

Watson

et al. 2019

Drug and Alcohol Review

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Issues Preventable overdose deaths, especially due to opioids, have increasingly been reported worldwide. Expansion of life‐saving harm reduction services is underway with increasing public support in some jurisdictions. However, such services often fall short of reaching people who use drugs (PWUD), in part, due to law enforcement practices that are aligned with punitive drug laws and incongruent with harm reduction principles. One suggested strategy to facilitate police understanding and uptake of practices that are more congruent with harm reduction is to provide police with relevant training. Approach This scoping review synthesises English‐language peer‐reviewed and grey literature on harm reduction training programs for police. Key Findings We reviewed 31 sources and found that most trainings covered topics related to harm reduction objectives, overdose recognition and response, occupational safety and policing practices. Information was often presented via single‐session, 1‐hour long, slide‐assisted presentations that were integrated into in‐service trainings. Inconsistent throughout the literature was the career stage or position/rank of training audience (e.g. cadets, senior officers, street‐level officers), when and how much training should be provided, and the occupational background of the training facilitator. Implications The available literature contains significant gaps pertaining to descriptions of training development, design and content specific to facilitating positive police‐PWUD interactions, and formal evaluations. These gaps limit our understanding of what well‐designed trainings may look like, if and how training alters policing practices, and to what extent training completion may lead to improved outcomes. Conclusion Greater research and formal evaluations of harm reduction training for police is recommended.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A scoping review of harm reduction training for police officers

Khorasheh

Naraine

Watson

et al. 2019

Drug and Alcohol Review

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“…Several theories and models have been proposed to explain the underlying motivations for actors to comply or not with rules and F I G U R E 1 Actor-based and opportunity-based approaches for studying non-compliance in small-scale fisheries [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] regulations (Becker, 1968;Cialdini & Trost, 1998;Ishoy, 2016;Ostrom, 1990;Tyler, 1990). Consequently, fisheries scientists and conservationists have drawn from these theories in order to better understand why fishers comply or not with conservation and management regulations (Arias, Cinner, Jones, & Pressey, 2015;Bergseth & Roscher, 2018;Bova, Halse, Aswani, & Potts, 2017;Kuperan & Sutinen, 1998).…”

Section: Ac To R-ba S Ed a Pproache Smentioning

confidence: 99%

A synthesis of (non‐)compliance theories with applications to small‐scale fisheries research and practice

2020

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“…Its variables have been explicitly operationalized for policing studies only a handful of times, however [ 25 , 29 , 44 ]. A study by Ishoy [ 27 ] conducted qualitative interviews aimed at operationalizing the theory’s three variables to explain how police make discretionary enforcement decisions. Findings revealed that officers believe they have control over their enforcement actions in a wide range of circumstances and their attitudes strongly influence decisions about minor infractions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Police discretion in encounters with people who use drugs: operationalizing the theory of planned behavior

et al. 2021

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Background Policing shapes the health risks of people who use drugs (PWUD), but little is understood about interventions that can align officer practices with PWUD health. This study deploys the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand what influences police intentions to make discretionary referrals to treatment and harm reduction resources rather than arrest on less serious charges. Methods On-line surveys integrating TPB constructs and adapting an instrument measuring police intentions to make mental health treatment referrals were completed by police employees in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Missouri. They also included items about stigma towards PWUD and attitudes and beliefs about opioid addiction, treatment, and recovery. Findings Across the sites, 259 respondents perceived control over their decision to arrest for misdemeanors (69%) and confiscate items such as syringes (56%). Beliefs about others’ approval of referrals to treatment, its ability to reduce future arrests, and to increase trust in police were associated with stated practices of nonarrest for drug and possession and making referrals (p ≤ .001), and nonarrest for syringe possession (p ≤ .05). Stigma a towards PWUD was negatively associated with stated practices of nonarrest (p ≤ .05). Respondents identified supervisors as having the most influence over use of discretion, seriousness of the offense as the most influential value, and attitude of the suspect as the most important situational factor. The 17 Likert scale items analyzed had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.81. Conclusion The TPB offers untapped potential to better understand and modify police practices. In designing interventions to improve the health outcomes of police encounters with PWUD, further research should validate instruments that measure the relationship between these variables and discretionary intentions, and that measure role-relevant police stigma towards PWUD.

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The theory of planned behavior and policing: how attitudes about behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control affect the discretionary enforcement decisions of police officers

Cited by 22 publications

References 32 publications

A scoping review of harm reduction training for police officers

A scoping review of harm reduction training for police officers

A synthesis of (non‐)compliance theories with applications to small‐scale fisheries research and practice

Police discretion in encounters with people who use drugs: operationalizing the theory of planned behavior

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