NCJ Number
96183
Date Published
1984
Length
22 pages
Annotation
An evaluation of four pilot British racism awareness training (RAT) courses which involved 83 officers of all ranks found that disparities between officers' expectations and the material presented by trainers significantly diminished the classes' impact.
Abstract
The four groups consisted of (1) a mixture of constable and sergeants with medium to long experience, (2) constables with little experience, (3) inspectors, and (4) chief inspectors. RAT objectives were the development of a heightened awareness of the nature of racism in society and within the individual. Most of the RAT participants rejected the awareness approach in favor of an information-giving one. Thus, while the trainers emphasized racial perceptions, police officers thought mainly in terms of cultural differences. Trainers discouraged remarks on cultural differences and tended to avoid any challenges to their opinions from experienced officers. This reluctance to discuss actual experiences was very unsatisfactory to participants who had been trained to be suspicious and emphasize facts over feelings. Participants showed mixed feelings about group exercises and preferred the formal lecture with discussion format. All participants felt that what trainers often were saying was at odds with their own understanding of the world. The evaluation results indicated that race relations training should be integrated with other police training and that the technique of provoking an audience into discussion through short-term hostility was counterproductive in a police group. Moreover, the pilot program experience suggested that mixing rank, age, and experience inhibited junior officers. Recommendations for future training and seven references are supplied.