DEADLY FORCE - THE MORAL REASONING AND EDUCATION OF POLICE OFFICERS FACED WITH THE OPTION OF LETHAL LEGAL VIOLENCE

• NCJ Number: 61078
• Journal: Policy Studies Journal Volume: 7 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 450-454
• Author(s): P SCHARF; R LINNINGER; D MARRERO; R BAKER; C RICE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Policy Studies Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

OFFICER RESPONSES TO USE OF DEADLY FORCE HYPOTHETICAL DILEMMAS ARE ANALYZED, AND A TRAINING INTERVENTION FOR HEIGHTENING OFFICER AWARENESS OF FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE USE OF A LETHAL WEAPON IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

CRITICAL TO ANY UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLICE OFFICER'S ASSESSMENT OF THE 'DEADLY FORCE' DILEMMA IS A THEORY OF LEGAL DECISIONMAKING. KOHLBERG'S (1977) THEORY OF MORAL JUDGMENT POSITS SIX STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT THAT EVOLVE SEQUENTIALLY IN ALL SOCIETIES REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP OF LAW TO INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY: (1) PUNISHMENT AND OBEDIENCE, (2) INSTRUMENTAL HEDONISM, (3) THE DESIRE TO PLEASE AUTHORITY FIGURES, (4) FIXED DEFINITIONS OF LAW AND SOCIETY, (5) LEGALISTIC CONTRACT ORIENTATION, AND (6) THE LAW AS A REPOSITORY FOR BROADER ETHICAL PRINCIPLES. TWENTY-FOUR POLICE OFFICERS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM TWO CALIFORNIA POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO TEST THE THEORY THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE STAGE OF MORAL REASONING AND THE DECISION ON A HYPOTHETICAL USE OF FORCE DILEMMA. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS SHOWED AN APPARENT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AN OFFICER'S MORAL STAGE AND THE DECISION MADE ON THE 'SHOOTING DILEMMA.' WHILE NO OFFICERS WERE FOUND TO BE IN STAGE SIX, THOSE IN STAGE FIVE REASONED FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION THAT THE TAKING OF ANYONE'S LIFE WAS A FINAL RESORT THAT WOULD OCCUR IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THE SAVING OF THE LIVES OF ALL PERSONS IN ANY SITUATION SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT. ELABORATE TRAINING SIMULATIONS WERE CREATED IN WHICH THE OFFICERS WERE PLACED IN POTENTIAL SHOOTING SITUATIONS ANALOGOUS TO SITUATIONS LIKELY TO OCCUR. DURING A DEBRIEFING SESSION THAT USED VIDEO-TAPES OF THE SIMULATION, THE MORAL, LEGAL, AND STRATEGIC ELEMENTS OF THE CASE WERE DISCUSSED IN SMALL GROUPS. WHILE POST-TESTING SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN SUBJECT RESPONSES TO ABSTRACT MEASURE OF MORAL REASONING, SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS FOUND IN SUBJECT RESPONSES TO POLICE DILEMMAS. THIS IMPLIES THAT WHILE BASIC MORAL REASONING CAPACITY OF OFFICERS MAY NOT BE CHANGED IN TRAINING, THEY CAN BE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY THEIR AVAILABLE MORAL CAPACITIES TO POLICE SITUATIONS IN A MORE ENLIGHTENED MANNER. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)