Recently there have been many issues concerning wrongful searches and police brutality in the criminal justice system. Cries for racial equality and social justice have been heard from across the nation. Profiling and stereotyping are generally seen as almost the same concept, but this is not the case. Specifically, criminal profiling is defined as “the act or process of extrapolating information about a person based on known traits or tendencies,” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. In contrast, stereotyping is defined as “an idea that is used to describe a particular type of person or thing, or a person or thing thought to represent such an idea,” by Cambridge English Dictionary. The term “racial profiling” has grown recently …show more content…
Through observations and educated decisions, officers can conclude whether or not a subject poses a danger to their surroundings, or how they can use their new knowledge to help further their investigation. In order to accurately profile a suspect, one would observe and profile them based on their behaviors and body language, not taking race, gender, or religion into account when making a decision. On the other hand, the motives behind stereotyping are quite different. In “Where Bias Begins: The Truth About Stereotypes,” Annie Murphy Paul refers to the ultimate goal of stereotyping by saying, “Humans, like other species, need to feel that they are part of a group, and as villages, clans, and other traditional groupings have broken down, our identities have attached themselves to more ambiguous classifications, such as race and class.” Following this concept, Paul explains, “We want to feel good about the group we belong to—and one way of doing so is to denigrate all those who who aren't in it.” Unlike profiling, stereotyping does not seek to find danger, but to find a flaw in someone in order to categorize and besmirch them without taking the time to truly understand that person. Profiling is rooted in logic, while stereotyping is largely based on assumptions and opinions, both leaving little room for empathy. Neither thought process accounts for someone’s feelings, struggles, or personality.
Every individual in the world is different in some way from the person standing next to them. People differ in their culture, ethnicity, race, religion, personality, styles, interest, appearance and more. It is understood that someone may be similar to you not one person will be exactly like you. Growing up it is important for one to understand the differences of other people and show a level of respect for them. As human-beings, people typically learn through experiences. However, these experiences have the tendency to alter the way people perceive other individuals. Racial profiling, a term used more frequently when dealing with law enforcement, is defined as “any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection
There have been many attempts to make racial profiling illegal, but all have failed. Racial profiling is defined as suspecting an individual of a wrongdoing based solely on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin (Racial Profliling: Definition 2). Racism spreads throughout all dimensions of life in American society; therefore, the history of racial profiling is extensive, but it was at an all-time high after the September 11th attacks (Persistence of racial and ethnic profiling in the United States: a follow-up report to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 10). It can be used in both positive and negative aspects, but is mostly used negatively. Racial profiling negatively effects society and the very existence of racial profiling is erroneous, discriminatory, and unjustifiable.
Racial profiling in the dictionary is “the assumption of criminality among ethnic groups: the alleged policy of some police to attribute criminal intentions to members of some ethnic groups and to stop and question them in disproportionate numbers without probable cause (“Racial Profiling”).” In other words racial profiling is making assumptions that certain individuals are more likely to be involved in misconduct or criminal activity based on that individual’s race or ethnicity. Racial profiling propels a brutalizing message to citizens of the United States that they are pre-judged by the color of their skin rather than who they are and this then leads to assumptions of ruthlessness inside the American criminal justice system. With
According to Scott Johnson, “racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense” (Scott Johnson). The United States Supreme Court has ruled that racial profiling violates the constitutional requirement that all persons should be accorded equal protection of the law. However, is this requirement defensible in public policy? It has been proven in previous research studies that racial profiling, if applied correctly, can be a useful defensible public policy. Studies such as the one conducted by David Harris, who is a law professor at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, show that the racial inequality in arrests made as well as crime rates have been reflective of one sided racial policies.(Harris). Also, Harris stated that, “crime rates are equal among racial groups and arrests, convictions and incarcerations are unequal based on the premise that police, prosecutors and courts systematically pick on minorities due to the color of skin (Harris). For example, the Trayvon Martin case is evident that racial profiling was negatively applied due to stereotyping. Stereotyping is an exaggerated or distorted generalization about an entire category of people that does not acknowledge individual variation. Stereotypes form the basis for prejudice and discrimination. They generally involve members of one group that deny access to opportunities and rewards that are available to that group. This is a fundamental
The concept of racial profiling has its wide range of definitions. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, racial profiling means “the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual 's race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.” In other words, racial profiling has its assumptions that particular individuals are more likely to be involved in transgression or unlawful activities based on individual’s race or background. Racial profiling does not just exist today; it thrives and mostly propels a brutalizing message and inhuman misconception to citizens of the United States whom they are pre-judged by the color of their skin. The primary cause of profiling is racism or race-related discrimination. Unfortunately, this unwarranted approach is now commonly used by law enforcement officers, even though it could be both unjust and unconstitutional. Not only does it violate the core principles of this country, but it can be dangerous and deadly because it threatens our privacy and security. It is also a threat to racial equality, where many influential and prominent people have fought for to accomplish. Although many heroic activist leaders have ended racial division to its certain extent, yet many African-Americans all over America still face the rigid unequal world because of unjustifiable race-related tragedies that tremendously affects African-Americans.
Racial profiling is a topic that dates back centuries. With it being one of the major issues encountered today, racial profiling is a discriminatory conduct held by law enforcement and the criminal justice system. In my eyes, racial profiling is the use of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or national origin by law enforcement as a factor in deciding whom to investigate, arrest, or detain absent evidence of a specific crime or criminal behavior (Chanin). In today’s world, racial profiling has become a major issue. All too often, minorities are being hauled off to jail because they “fit the profile”. What exactly does it mean for one to “fit the profile”? These people who “fit the profile” are being discriminated against, and many of these people have been targeted out of ignorance. Bottom line is, while making assumptions and generalizing entire communities, racial profiling is a violation of human rights and is outright racist.
Even the United States struggles with issues of racial discrimination despite being a society highly based on immigrants and multicultural diversity. On one hand, people frown on treatment based on race, whether that is on an individual or group level. On the other, people are tired and annoyed by the seemingly constant call of discrimination. All of these feelings culminate into the debate pertaining to the use of racial profiling. Likewise, there are some individuals that hold a certain level of acceptance in regard to racial profiling. However, what is lost in the process because of that acceptance? There are many components that need to be thought about in reference to the use of racial profiling. In addition, it can be viewed
Racial Profiling is an act of automatically defining or identifying someone based on their ethnicity. This act was most recognized during the late 1800’s in the U.S. under the Jim Crow law. It was passed in order to segregate whites and the colored in America. It fundamentally made whites superior to all. Though, in 1964 the Civil Rights Act passed stating that anybody of any ethnicity or religion are to be equal and united. However, today this law has never been truly accepted when seeing the statistics of the type of people being stopped by the police. In fact, based on the statistics of the people stopped, there is an ethnic disproportion which shows that the police use racial profiling. Even though innocent people are stopped, the
Racial profiling is the act of using somebody race as a key factor in deciding their character. Racial profiling has been one the leading cause of major incidents in today’s time. It’s been in the U.S. Criminal System for decades and now is reaching its peak. With people not feeling like they are being fairly treated, this society has turned into turmoil. Racial profiling can be minimized by educating the community concerning stereotypes in regards to ethnicity, national origin, and religion.
Racial profiling in law enforcement is referenced when a law enforcement officer targets an individual for suspicion of a crime. A broader definition of racial profiling in law enforcements is when a law enforcement officer, uses an individual’s race or ethnicity, age , time of the day (usually later in the day), dress code and also location to accuse a person of a crime. In today’s world the term racial profiling can be viewed in various view points, because of people having different opinions on the term, many disagreements occur. Some people believe that specific incidents are not cases of racial profiling and others think otherwise, needless to say an argument occurs.
It is hard to say whether racial profiling is ethical or not. Profiling based on gender, race, or ethnicity is just the way our minds work; it’s natural. We create ‘profiles’ of how we expect things to be by quickly recalling our past experiences. We know that not every experience will fit into the profiles we make in our heads- but a lot of them do. Whether we like it or not, racial profiling has a place in today’s society in regards to crime solving and prevention.
Racial profiling in law enforcement is not merely wrong, but also ineffective. Race-based assumptions in law enforcement perpetuate negative racial stereotypes that are harmful to our rich and diverse democracy, and materially impair our efforts to maintain a fair and just society. Retrieved November 15 2015 www.usdoj.gov
As i was walking with my friends Joc, Brian, Javion, and my brother Isaac from the basketball court up the street from where I live. A police officer comes and steps up to us while we are walking home and without asking any type of questions, He tries to arrest my friend Brian. Brian was not told his rights before being arrested or told why he was being arrested all he knew it was happening. None of us knew what was going none of us could wrap our heads around the situation as it seemed very unrealistic . The worst thing about it was that his 3 year old cousin had to see it all happen and we could not give him a explanation for this happening because we was just as lost as he was. We had to
“Racial profiling describes the practice of targeting or stopping an individual based primarily on his or her race rather than any individualized suspicion” as illustrated by Warren of Sage journals. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as reasons for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. African-Americans have been fighting what seems to be a never ending battle against oppression and racism. Over the years 2012-2015, reports of police killing unarmed black men in America have been alarming.
Benjamin Todd Jealous once said, “Racial profiling punishes innocent individuals for the past actions of those who look and sound like them. It misdirects crucial resources and undercuts the trust needed between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”(Jealous, 2015). I couldn’t agree more with him. In today’s society more and more Black men and women suffer from police bias. Police is a powerful organization that was meant to serve and protect. Enforce laws and keeping communities safe. The problem is we fail to acknowledge that police are humans with real life bias. The problem with police is how much racial profiling is going up,