Effectiveness of a contact-based anti-stigma intervention for police officers

Wittmann, Linus; Dorner, Robert; Heuer, Imke; Böck, Thomas; Mahlke, Candelaria

doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2021.101697

Cited by 15 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The bias blind spot refers to the incorrect belief that other experts are affected by bias, but not oneself. This fallacy is well-documented in the literature (Jones et al, 2018; Kukucka et al, 2017; Pronin et al, 2002; Zapf et al, 2018) and can be expected to apply to police officers and people who have belief in them as well. For instance, people deny that bias would influence their own and officers’ inferences and memory of a criminal encounter, yet, they do not extend the same benefit to the average American (Jones et al, 2018).…”

Section: Fallacies About the Nature Of Biasesmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Personal factors like motivation, personal ideology and beliefs impact biases and as such influence decision-making (Dror, 2020a). For example, xenophobic attitudes bias interactional decision-making with individuals from certain groups just as much as stigma-informed beliefs about individuals with mental illness (Behr, 2019a;Murray and Schaller, 2016;Wittmann et al, 2021). Also, people vary in their tolerance towards risks and ambiguity (Saposnik et al, 2016).…”

Section: Personal Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The problem of entanglement: Biases and fallacies in police conflict management

Staller

Zaiser

Körner

2021

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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Cognitive biases have been identified as drivers of the excessive use of force, which has determined current affairs across the globe. In this article, we argue that the police are facing serious challenges in combating these biases. These challenges stem from the nature of cognitive biases, their sources and the fallacies that mislead police professionals in the way they think about them. Based on a framework of expert decision-making fallacies and biases, we argue that these fallacies limit the impact of efforts to mitigate cognitive biases in police conflict management. In order to achieve a systemic understanding of cognitive biases and their detrimental effects, the article concludes that implementing reflexive structures within the police is a crucial prerequisite to effectively reflect on external influences and to limit bias and fallacies from further unfolding in a self-referential loop.

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Section: Fallacies About the Nature Of Biasesmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Personal Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The problem of entanglement: Biases and fallacies in police conflict management

Staller

Zaiser

Körner

2021

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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“…Additionally, McKinnon and Grubin (2013) showed that police officers detected symptoms of schizophrenia more commonly compared to other mentals health conditions (e.g., intellectual disabilties). However, one could argue that German police training focuses specifically on schizophrenia and therefore police officers present with a broader knowledge (Wundsam et al, 2007;Wittmann et al, 2021a). In contrast, PTSD (15%) and manic episodes (17%) were only identified by a minority of police offers and EUPD by none of the participants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

et al. 2021

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The recognition of certain mental health conditions is important as this requires police officers to communicate and behave in an adjusted manner with affected individuals. The objective of the present study was to test police officers’ knowledge about mental health symptoms as a component of their mental health literacy (MHL) and to examine if police officers’ perceived knowledge corresponds with their actual knowledge. A questionnaire was used to assess for MHL representing mental health conditions which occur frequently in police requests (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and emotionally unstable personality disorder). Furthermore, the questionnaire assessed the frequency of police requests, the officers’ perceived knowledge regarding mental disorders and their sense of feeling sufficiently trained to deal with these kinds of requests. Eighty-two police officers participated in the study. Police officers’ actual knowledge about mental health conditions did not correspond with their perceived knowledge. Participants revealed a moderately high level of overall knowledge which differed with regard to symptoms of each of the five mental health conditions. The mental status of a paranoid schizophrenia was best identified by the police officers and the majority correctly allocated the symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorders and manic episodes were only identified by a minority of police offers. Police training geared to prepare for requests involving individuals with mental disorders should expand this limited knowledge transfer and focus on a broader variety of mental health conditions that police officers frequently encounter in requests.

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“…These effects correspond with the evaluation of the effectiveness of German training programs, which first and foremost aim to reduce the stigmatization of PMI and decrease police officers use of force ( 23 ). Without disregarding the perspective of PMI themselves ( 26 ), experts of police psychology and psychiatry such as ourselves who led this project, suggest that this training design could serve as an example and invitation to incorporate the already fruitful scientific discourse and bi-directional research experiences between mental health and law enforcement professionals. Hence, in future research and training program design, those experts who are involved should be encouraged to address the question of effectiveness assessment at an early stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Mental Health Literacy in Law Enforcement to Improve Best Practices in Policing—Introduction of an Empirically Derived, Modular, Differentiated, and End-User Driven Training Design

Lorey

Fegert

2021

Front. Psychiatry

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Objective: Law enforcement officers often have contact to persons who show symptoms of mental disorders. Adequately designed training is necessary for developing the best possible practices in policing when coming into contact with mentally ill people, and may help to expand their general knowledge on mental disorders. To achieve a sustainable implementation of training content in daily policing work, the acceptance and proactive integration of methods by the training participants is essential.Method: This study investigates an exemplary modular training curriculum based on a survey with 2,228 German police officers (28.2% female, 71.8% male) concerning their needs and challenges when coming into contact with persons with mental disorders. This empirical end-user driven approach was used to adapt existing training concepts to the current needs and interests of law enforcement personnel in order to maximize compliance.Results: The training program draft includes basic modules which are intended to be of direct interest to all police officers, such as mental disorders with high policing relevance, encountering suicidal patients, (non-directive) communication and de-escalation skills, and mental hygiene in policing. They are arranged in more specialized modules that address specific target group audiences within police forces and the training curriculum provides information about genuine risks and self-protection, trauma sensitivity, and interaction with children and victims among other contents. The self-selectable, modular, and empirically-based continued training program also includes an introduction to local mental health service professionals and networks, trialogue sequences, and situational role play scenarios.Conclusion: Due to frequent contact law enforcement officers have to mentally ill people, improved training designed to maximize knowledge and the integration of trained methods is necessary. Gaining acceptance and proactive support by trainees is ensured through end-user driven implementation of specialized and differentiated up-to-date training programs. Our results showcase how police officers' perspectives on persons with mental illnesses is a main aspect that can and should be used to encourage training course designs.

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Effectiveness of a contact-based anti-stigma intervention for police officers

Cited by 15 publications

References 28 publications

The problem of entanglement: Biases and fallacies in police conflict management

The problem of entanglement: Biases and fallacies in police conflict management

Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

Increasing Mental Health Literacy in Law Enforcement to Improve Best Practices in Policing—Introduction of an Empirically Derived, Modular, Differentiated, and End-User Driven Training Design

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