Researchers examine how supporting social hierarchies relates to police use of force. The relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO)--the belief that social hierarchies are good--and the use of physical force by police officers remains unclear. Jillian Swencionis, Phillip Goff, and colleagues surveyed 694 police officers stationed in either a Southern US city or one of two Eastern US cities about the officers' beliefs related to social hierarchies and racial groups. The authors also examined participants' policing records for issuing citations and using force while on duty. Force was characterized by an officer's use of their body or a weapon while interacting with a resident. Across all three cities, White officers with high SDO were more likely to use force than White officers with low SDO. However, for non-White officers--including those who were Asian, Black, Latinx, and Native American--high SDO was not related to a high likelihood of using force. The findings suggest that supporting social hierarchy may influence whether White police officers use force when interacting with community members, according to the authors.
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Article #20-07693: "Supporting social hierarchy is associated with White police officers' use of force," by Jillian K. Swencionis, Enrique R. Pouget, and Phillip Atiba Goff.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jillian K. Swencionis, Yale University, New Haven, CT; tel: 347-948-9953; email: < comms@policingequity.org >; Phillip Atiba Goff, Yale University, New Haven, CT; tel: 347-948-9953; email: < comms@policingequity.org >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences