Police Ethical Misconduct
Discuss briefly some of the peer-reviewed research findings pertaining to why individuals behave unethically. In doing so, discuss using critical thinking what the academic literature has to say and apply that information toward police officer unethical conduct.
450 words/ 3 references
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Police Ethical Misconduct
Why Individuals Behave Unethically:
Insights from Academic Literature and Application to Police Misconduct
Scholars have widely studied unethical behavior in psychology, criminology, and organizational behavior. These studies explore why people, including police officers, act unethically. Research highlights psychological, social, and situational influences. It also stresses the role of leadership, accountability, and ethical culture in reducing misconduct.
Trevino’s Interactionist Model (1986) explains that unethical acts stem from both personal traits and environmental pressures. People with low moral development or manipulative tendencies are more likely to behave unethically. Still, even ethical individuals may act wrongly in corrupt or permissive environments. In policing, unethical behavior can spread when departments normalize or ignore it. Group pressure and fear of speaking out often worsen the problem.
Bandura (1999) introduced the idea of Moral Disengagement. He showed how people mentally disconnect from their actions to avoid guilt. They use terms like “roughing up” instead of “assault” or shift blame to others. Police may justify excessive force or profiling by claiming it protects the public.
Ashforth and Anand (2003) applied Social Learning Theory to unethical behavior. Their research found that people learn from observing others at work. In police departments, new officers copy senior colleagues. If misconduct is rewarded or ignored, it becomes routine. This creates a cycle of unethical behavior within the organization.
A critical review of these findings shows that no single factor explains misconduct. Unethical behavior results from the mix of personal values, social learning, and the surrounding system. In police work, misconduct often reflects deeper failures—like poor leadership, weak oversight, or inadequate ethics training. Addressing these problems requires more than punishing individuals. Departments must change the culture that enables unethical acts.
