Measuring Stops and Searches: Lessons from U.K. Home Office Research

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Miller ◽  
Nick Bland ◽  
Paul Quinton
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Video Cameras ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Moving Vehicles ◽  
Resident Populations ◽  
Stop And Search ◽  
Minority Ethnic ◽  
New System

This article describes an evaluation of a new system of monitoring police stops and searches in five pilot police sites, along with related research on the disproportionate police stopping and searching of people from minority ethnic backgrounds (“disproportionality”). The evaluation shows that the new monitoring is characterized by a substantial underrecording of encounters, notably of stops. A comparison of data from officer-defined and self-defined ethnic categories on stop and search forms highlights different strengths and weaknesses of both types of ethnic monitoring. The article also explores public satisfaction with the new system of recording, noting that people typically did not understand the purpose of the form at the time they received it. The research into disproportionality explored the “available” populations on the street - using video cameras mounted in moving vehicles - and compared them with resident populations and with those stopped and searched. The research shows that available populations were very different from resident populations. Overall, the findings suggested no general pattern of bias in stops and searches against people from minority ethnic groups. The research also finds that while stops and searches tended to be targeted at areas that have higher than average proportions of residents from minority ethnic groups, this largely reflected patterns of crime.

scholarly journals Resisting effective approaches for BAME offenders in England and Wales: the triumph of inertia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Williams ◽  
Pauline Durrance
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Institutional Racism ◽  
Home Office ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Minority Ethnic

Following the theme set by the previous chapters in this section; this chapter identifies practices that are useful for working with other typically marginalised groups on probation, particularly Black and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME). The chapter is set in the context of the cancellation of Home Office programmes and interventions with BAME offenders in England and Wales, and the authors describe this as the ‘triumph of inertia, and explore why this has occurred. They contextualise the chapter with statistics about BAME communities’ experiences of the Criminal Justice System and the wider society, including institutional racism, and looks at specific Home Office strategies that have disproportionately impacted on BAME communities. Finally, the chapter includes recommendations to improve practice for people working with these groups.

scholarly journals Unequal impact of the COVID-19 crisis on minority ethnic groups: a framework for understanding and addressing inequalities

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216061
Author(s):  
Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi ◽  
Sham Lal ◽  
Enitan D Carrol ◽  
Claire L Niedzwiedz ◽  
Kamlesh Khunti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Minority Ethnic

Minority ethnic groups have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the exact reasons for this remain unclear, they are likely due to a complex interplay of factors rather than a single cause. Reducing these inequalities requires a greater understanding of the causes. Research to date, however, has been hampered by a lack of theoretical understanding of the meaning of ‘ethnicity’ (or race) and the potential pathways leading to inequalities. In particular, quantitative analyses have often adjusted away the pathways through which inequalities actually arise (ie, mediators for the effect of interest), leading to the effects of social processes, and particularly structural racism, becoming hidden. In this paper, we describe a framework for understanding the pathways that have generated ethnic (and racial) inequalities in COVID-19. We suggest that differences in health outcomes due to the pandemic could arise through six pathways: (1) differential exposure to the virus; (2) differential vulnerability to infection/disease; (3) differential health consequences of the disease; (4) differential social consequences of the disease; (5) differential effectiveness of pandemic control measures and (6) differential adverse consequences of control measures. Current research provides only a partial understanding of some of these pathways. Future research and action will require a clearer understanding of the multiple dimensions of ethnicity and an appreciation of the complex interplay of social and biological pathways through which ethnic inequalities arise. Our framework highlights the gaps in the current evidence and pathways that need further investigation in research that aims to address these inequalities.

scholarly journals Perceived major experiences of discrimination, ethnic group, and risk of psychosis in a six-country case−control study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Supriya Misra ◽  
Bizu Gelaye ◽  
David R. Williams ◽  
Karestan C. Koenen ◽  
Christina P.C. Borba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Excess Risk ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Minority Ethnic ◽  
Control Study

Abstract Background Perceived discrimination is associated with worse mental health. Few studies have assessed whether perceived discrimination (i) is associated with the risk of psychotic disorders and (ii) contributes to an increased risk among minority ethnic groups relative to the ethnic majority. Methods We used data from the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions Work Package 2, a population-based case−control study of incident psychotic disorders in 17 catchment sites across six countries. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the associations between perceived discrimination and psychosis using mixed-effects logistic regression models. We used stratified and mediation analyses to explore differences for minority ethnic groups. Results Reporting any perceived experience of major discrimination (e.g. unfair treatment by police, not getting hired) was higher in cases than controls (41.8% v. 34.2%). Pervasive experiences of discrimination (≥3 types) were also higher in cases than controls (11.3% v. 5.5%). In fully adjusted models, the odds of psychosis were 1.20 (95% CI 0.91–1.59) for any discrimination and 1.79 (95% CI 1.19–1.59) for pervasive discrimination compared with no discrimination. In stratified analyses, the magnitude of association for pervasive experiences of discrimination appeared stronger for minority ethnic groups (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.12–2.68) than the ethnic majority (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 0.65–3.10). In exploratory mediation analysis, pervasive discrimination minimally explained excess risk among minority ethnic groups (5.1%). Conclusions Pervasive experiences of discrimination are associated with slightly increased odds of psychotic disorders and may minimally help explain excess risk for minority ethnic groups.

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