Abstract
Research QuestionDid a values education programme taught to Queensland police recruits change their attitudes towards police workplace diversity and equality, relative to recruits in the same cohorts who did not receive the programme?DataA survey designed to measure attitudes towards workplace diversity and related issues was administered three times to 260 police recruits, who were randomly assigned to receive a values education programme or not over the 25-week initial police recruit course. The surveys were conducted in week two of the course, at the conclusion of the values education programme and six weeks after the programme concluded.MethodsThree separate cohorts were split by batch random assignment into experimental and controls, for 132 experimental recruits and 128 controls. Using a variety of validated scales and items, the attitudes of the two groups were compared at all three survey waves and in comparative longitudinal trends.FindingsWhile the values education programme did not improve experimental group recruit attitudes towards diversity in the workplace over time, it protected that group from a clear decline in support for diversity associated with the standard recruit training experience. Because the design was a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the study clearly revealed that the benefit of the programme was as a successful buffer against what happened to reduce diversity support among the other recruits.ConclusionsThe findings show that in at least one police recruit experience, there is a clear shift away from support for diversity by race and gender in the police workplace in the course of initial training. Fortunately, the results also provide at least one possible preventative measure for that problem, in the form of a values education programme similar to one used widely in many countries.
Highlights
Values Education in PolicingPublic debates about police behaviour often centre on issues of bias and diversity
Research Question Did a values education programme taught to Queensland police recruits change their attitudes towards police workplace diversity and equality, relative to recruits in the same cohorts who did not receive the programme? Data A survey designed to measure attitudes towards workplace diversity and related issues was administered three times to 260 police recruits, who were randomly assigned to receive a values education programme or not over the 25-week initial police recruit course
While the values education programme did not improve experimental group recruit attitudes towards diversity in the workplace over time, it protected that group from a clear decline in support for diversity associated with the standard recruit training experience
Summary
Values Education in PolicingPublic debates about police behaviour often centre on issues of bias and diversity. Much of the debate is adversarial, in the sense that the argument hinges on a verdict about whether or not police support equality of race, gender and religion. Much less of the debate is constructive, in the sense of considering ways that police can enhance their support for diversity and equality in diverse societies. The study set out to evaluate the impact of a globally available values education programme, using a rigorous research design: a randomised, controlled trial. What it discovered was a tested benefit of the specific programme, but—in the absence of this special programme—a clear reduction in recruit support for diversity from entering to leaving the police academy. The major benefit of the values education programme was to hold recruit attitudes at the level of support for diversity they enrolled with, while recruits receiving only the standard curriculum were tracked to have significant reductions in their support for diversity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
