U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Public Opinion on the Use of Consumer Racial Profiling to Identify Shoplifters: An Exploratory Study

NCJ Number
235186
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2011 Pages: 201-212
Author(s)
Shaun L. Gabbidon; George E. Higgins
Date Published
June 2011
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article examines racial profiling in Pennsylvania.
Abstract
Based on a recent State-level poll of Pennsylvania residents (N = 852), this paper extended previous public opinion research on consumer racial profiling (CRP) by exploring whether the views of Pennsylvanians on CRP were influenced by ethical concerns, the belief that the practice was discriminatory, and the perceived effectiveness of the practice. Support was found that views regarding the perception that CRP was discriminatory increased the likelihood that respondents felt CRP occurs. Similarly, those respondents who perceived that CRP was effective were also more likely to believe that it occurs. Ethical considerations reduced the likelihood of support for CRP while perceived effectiveness increased the support for CRP. The authors argue that scholars should work through the media and civil rights organizations to publicize the empirical research that clearly shows that CRP does exist and that it is not effective. (Published Abstract)