Racial Profiling and the Criminal Justice System [WLOs:
1, 2, 3, and 4] [CLOs: 1, 2, and 3]
Prior to beginning work on this discussion:
o Read Chapter 7 of the course text.
o Read the article, Black Psychology and Black Criminality:
Myths and Reality on the Origins of Black Street Life Links
to an external site..
o Watch the video, Shots FiredLinks to an external site..
After reviewing the Required Resources, address the following:
Define racial profiling.
Describe the connection between stereotypes and racial profiling.
Explain the consequences of racial profiling.
Choose from Chapter 7 the sociological theory of race, crime, and
deviance that most closely fits your own beliefs about how race,
crime, and deviance are interrelated and describe it in your own
words (e.g., Lombroso’s theory, differential association theory,
broken windows theory, or the general strain theory). Explain how
and why your chosen theory fits within your own beliefs.
Compare the theory you chose to a differing theory outlined in your
text, Chapter 7.
Identify and describe any current collective efforts (such as protest
movements, boycotts, and educational campaigns) that address
racial profiling in the criminal justice system of which you are
aware.
o If you are unaware of any collective efforts, propose your
own idea of an effort that citizens could establish to effect
change in this area.
Your initial post should be at least 500 words in length. Support your claims
with examples from required material and/or other scholarly resources and
properly use APA citations and a References list according to APA StyleLinks
to an external site..
SOC308 Week 4 Discussion
Racial profiling is the discriminatory practice whereby law enforcement targets
someone for suspicion of crime based on their race, ethnicity, or nationality instead of on
specific evidence or individual conduct. Stereotypes, simple, generalized ideas about a given
set of people, are fundamental in this technique. For instance, law enforcement personnel may
unfairly target Black men because of the myth that they are more likely to engage in criminal
activity. These preconceptions help to establish a biased prism through which police see
people from particular racial or ethnic groups, therefore sustaining the cycle of racial profiling
(Skinner-Dorkenoo et al., 2023). Law enforcement officials can assume based on these
preconceptions instead of depending on objective evidence, which would result in unfair
treatment and support of current societal inequities.
Racial profiling has far-reaching and adverse effects on people as well as on society at
large. Personally, those who go through racial profiling could go through erroneous
detentions, harassment, and extreme separation from society. Among the psychological
consequences could be more tension, worry, and less sense of personal safety. Racial profiling
erodes public confidence in law enforcement and the more general criminal justice system for
society. This decline in trust can cause law enforcement and community tensions to rise,
hence aggravating cycles of violence and prejudice (Glaser, 2015). Moreover, racial profiling
goes against the basic ideas of justice and equality, which helps to produce systematic
inequities inside the criminal justice system.
Developed by Robert Agnew, the General Strain Theory is one sociological theory
that fits my ideas on the interaction between race, crime, and deviance. This hypothesis holds
that those who feel great stress or strain are more inclined to turn to criminal activity as a
coping mechanism (Sigfusdottir et al., 2012). Strain can come from prejudice, social inequity,
and financial difficulty as well as from other factors. For underprivileged racial groups,
systematic racism and socioeconomic inequality might cause increased stress. People lacking
access to legal success methods, such as education and job possibilities, may resort to illegal
activity to release their dissatisfaction. The General Strain Theory fits my views since it
emphasizes the systemic disparities that support criminal activity, especially among
underprivileged racial groups (Sigfusdottir et al., 2012). It implies that rather than
concentrating just on punitive policies, we must solve the underlying causes of crime, namely
poverty and discrimination, to address it effectively.
Edwin Sutherland's Differential Association Theory runs counter to this one. The
Differential Association Theory posits that encounters with others teach illegal behaviour.
This hypothesis holds that people start to deviate by hanging out with others who support
criminal activity (Maloku, 2020). Instead of stressing structural elements like strain or stress,
this approach highlights the part socializing and the influence of peers play in forming
behaviour. Although both theories agree on the significance of the social surroundings, the
Differential Association Theory focuses more on the instantaneous social context. At the same
time, the General Strain Theory considers more general social and economic factors.
In response to racial profiling, one of the most famous collective efforts is the Black
Lives Matter (BLM) movement. BLM has been immensely helpful in bringing attention to
racial profiling and supporting thorough changes in the criminal justice system. BLM
challenges the systematic racism behind racial profiling using demonstrations, educational
initiatives, and advocacy activities (Taylor, 2016). Policy measures include the prohibition of
chokeholds, the mandate for police personnel to wear body cameras, and the demand to
reallocate police money to community-based projects have also come about from the
movement. By stressing the significant influence of racial profiling on underprivileged
populations, BLM's initiatives have spurred national and worldwide discussions about racial
justice.
If I were suggesting a fresh group effort to fight racial profiling, it would entail setting
up law enforcement agency community-led monitoring systems. Comprising various
community members, these committees would examine incidences of claimed racial profiling,
offer suggestions for disciplinary punishment, and propose policy changes to stop such
events. Besides supervision, the committees would set up community forums to enable
communication between law enforcement and citizens, fostering openness and trust-building.
Along with educational initiatives to let the public know their rights and how to document
cases of racial profiling, this would guarantee victims' required support to pursue justice. This
strategy would help ensure that law enforcement policies are fair and free from racial bias by
enabling communities to hold law enforcement accountable actively.
References
Glaser, J. (2015). Suspect race: Causes and consequences of racial profiling. Oxford
University Press, USA.
Maloku, A. (2020). Theory of differential association. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary
Studies, 9(1), 170–178.
Sigfusdottir, I. D., Kristjansson, A. L., & Agnew, R. (2012). A comparative analysis of
general strain theory. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(2), 117-127.
Skinner-Dorkenoo, A. L., George, M., Wages III, J. E., Sánchez, S., & Perry, S. P. (2023). A
systemic approach to the psychology of racial bias within individuals and society.
Nature Reviews Psychology, 2(7), 392-406.
Taylor, K. Y. (2016). From# BlackLivesMatter to black liberation. Haymarket Books.
