Xenophobic attitudes in German police officers
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355718788373 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
Xenophobic attitudes in German police
2018, Vol. 20(3) 174–184
ª The Author(s) 2018
officers: A longitudinal investigation
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from professional education to practice
DOI: 10.1177/1461355718788373
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Nora Rebekka Krott
(Psychology Department,) New York University, USA
Eberhard Krott
University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Management of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Ines Zeitner
University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Management of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Abstract
In recent years, the proportion of the population with a migrant background has increased in the Federal Republic of
Germany. We investigated whether young German police officers hold xenophobic attitudes at the beginning of their
bachelor studies and how intercultural competence and communication training modules affect the development of those
attitudes. In a 4-year longitudinal study, we assessed police officers’ xenophobic attitudes at the beginning of the first
academic year, after basic study (year 1), after main study (year 2), and within the first year of professional practice (year
4). There was a significant decrease in xenophobic attitudes within the 3 years of professional education, followed by a
slight increase within the first year of professional practice. Throughout the 4-year period, xenophobic attitudes
decreased significantly, pointing to the effectiveness of the training modules integrated into the bachelor program and
to the necessity to continue intercultural training within police departments.
Keywords
Xenophobic attitudes, prejudice, police officers, intercultural competence, policing equity
Submitted 23 Jan 2018, accepted 11 Jun 2018
In recent years, the Federal Republic of Germany has faced
heavily influenced by a suspects’ ethnic background, with
increasing migration and, as a result, changes to its demo-
individuals from minority ethnic groups being more fre-
graphic structure. These changes present challenges to the
quently stopped in traffic and more likely to experience use
police service across various core areas, such as traffic
of force compared with majority ethnic individuals (Blom,
patrol, active defense, and criminal investigation. As rep-
2004; Prengel, 2012; for similar findings and discussions in
resentatives of the state, police officers often face allega-
the USA see Correll et al., 2007; Goff and Kahn, 2012;
tions of ethnic or racial bias, as seen in ongoing debates
Goff et al., 2016; Sommers and Marotta, 2014).
about xenophobic attitudes and prejudice leading to dispa-
rities in policing. A multitude of research on policing beha-
viors has shown that members of minority ethnic
Corresponding author:
communities often do not receive the same consideration
Nora Rebekka Krott, Psychology Department, New York University,
as those from the majority ethnic community. For example,
6 Washington Place New York, New York, NY 10003, USA.
profiling behavior and use of force have been shown to be
Email: nrk297@nyu.edu
Krott et al.
175
Xenophobic attitudes in police officers
Davies, 2010). To obtain a more comprehensive view, it
is necessary to investigate officers’ attitudes in the field
In addition to a multitude of studies on implicit and expli-
during actual police work (see also Goff and Kahn, 2012;
cit xenophobic attitudes and prejudice in general (Craig
Goff et al., 2016; Sommers and Marotta, 2014). Further,
and Richeson, 2014a, 2014b; Zick and Klein, 2014; Zick
many studies on xenophobic attitudes and prejudice in
et al., 2016; review by Dovidio, 2001), there has been
police officers have been conducted cross-sectionally (Goff
increasing interest in current data on xenophobic attitudes
et al., 2016). Again, to obtain a more comprehensive view,
in police officers and their influence on police behavior in
it seems relevant to investigate attitudes longitudinally, to
the field.
investigate changes from the beginning of police training to
Regarding the prevalence of xenophobic attitudes in the
professional practice.
police service, recent studies show that implicit biases and
The dual-track police bachelor program of the Univer-
stereotypical associations (e.g., black – criminal) affect
sity of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and
police officers’ perception of and attention to minority eth-
Management of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) repre-
nic criminal suspects (Eberhardt et al., 2004; Plant and
sents the largest federal police training program in Ger-
Peruche, 2005; see also Payne, 2001) and that those impli-
many and incorporates training modules aimed at
cit biases and prejudices are oftentimes detrimental for
counteracting xenophobic attitudes in police bachelor stu-
policing decisions and behavior (Eberhardt et al., 2006;
dents. By following up police bachelor students for 4 years,
Kahn et al., 2016; Tyler and Huo, 2002; Walker et al.,
this study sought to examine the influence of those training
2007; review by Goff and Kahn, 2012). Other studies have
modules on xenophobic attitudes over time.
investigated explicit xenophobic attitudes in police officers
and have similarly found that those xenophobic attitudes
influence policing behavior, especially in combination with
The dual-track police bachelor program NRW:
high work load and stress (Eckert et al., 1996; Heuer,
training modules to counteract xenophobic attitudes
2009).
The police department in North Rhine-Westphalia aims to
In consideration of those findings, there is a clear need
promote professionalism among police officers and thereby
for effective training and interventions to counteract xeno-
reacts to allegations of ethnic bias and xenophobic attitudes
phobic attitudes and prejudice and to promote equity in
in policing. As an example, there has been targeted recruit-
policing (Plant and Peruche, 2005; Plant et al., 2005).
ment of people with migrant backgrounds to the police
service (Franzke, 1999; Ku¨hnel and Erb, 2011; Murck and
Xenophobic attitudes in German police
Werdes, 1996). In his speech during the swearing-in of
young police officers on 22 June 2016, the minister for
officers
home and communal affairs, R. Ja¨ger, emphasized that
Regarding xenophobic attitudes in Germany, Zick et al.
222 of 1891 police applicants had migrant backgrounds.
(2016) note that civil society’s solidarity and engagement
At present, almost 12% of future police officers and
towards integrating refugees and asylum seekers are met
11.7% of police officers in service have migrant back-
with hatred, seclusion, and violence. Part of the political
grounds. At the beginning of this study in 2013, 8.6%
center have radicalized, are prepared to use violence, and
(131) of recruited police officers had a migrant background
blatantly express right-wing extremist sentiments. How-
(Federal State Government NRW, Printed Document 16/
ever, the most recent available research on xenophobic
4244, 2013).
attitudes in police officers in Germany, and especially in
Further, the University of Applied Sciences for Public
North-Rhine Westphalia, was conducted in the late 1990s
Administration and Management NRW – as the organiza-
and found mixed evidence for the prevalence of xenopho-
tion responsible for police training in North Rhine-
bic attitudes among German police officers (Eckert et al.,
Westphalia – has integrated specific training modules into
1996, 1998; Feltes, 1990, 2002; Mletzko and Weins,
the dual-track police bachelor program that aim to promote
1999; Ohlemacher, 1999). In consideration of recent
intercultural competence, social skills, and intercultural
changes in migration and demographic structure in
communication. Specifically, these are: Interkulturelle
Germany, current research on xenophobic attitudes in
Kompetenz [intercultural competence], Training sozialer
German police officers and on their influence on police
Kompetenz [social skills training], and Sprachen [lan-
behavior is warranted.
guages] (Turkish, Russian, English and Dutch). The inter-
Many of the studies on xenophobic attitudes and preju-
cultural competence module aims to teach students
dice in police officers were conducted in laboratory set-
theoretical concepts and definitions of culture, as well as
tings, often including hypothetical interaction scenarios
concepts of intercultural learning within the context of
(Correll et al., 2007; Eberhardt et al., 2004; Kahn and
immigration. Further, it focuses on mechanisms of isolation
176
International Journal of Police Science & Management 20(3)
and discrimination, for example, stereotypes, ethnocentr-
Table 1. Age and gender of participants at baseline (beginning of
ism or racial discrimination. Lastly, students are taught
academic year 2013).
behavioral coping strategies that are relevant to policing
Age
Male
Female
in an intercultural context. The social skills module aims
to teach students skills that are relevant in the context of
18–24
84
66
150
interpersonal and group processes, such as de-escalating
25–35
7
2
9
practices in conflict situations. The language module
>36
1
0
1
focuses on basic language skills that might be needed for
Total
92
68
160
communication with foreign individuals.
Further, the dual-track police bachelor program focuses
and Anderson’s (2000) General Affective Aggression
on the above-mentioned skills within social-scientific
Model (GAAM), explicit xenophobic...
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