Discriminatory attitudes towards people from key populations among police
Export Indicator
This indicator is divided into four subindicators:
A. Discriminatory attitudes towards sex workers.
B. Discriminatory attitudes towards gay men and other men who have sex with men.
C. Discriminatory attitudes towards people who inject drugs.
D. Discriminatory attitudes towards transgender people.
What it measures
Progress towards reducing negative attitudes towards people from key populations among police.
People from key populations, including sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and transgender people, often face stigma and discrimination from the police, which heightens their risk of HIV infection. Physical and sexual abuse, harassment, blackmail from police and prison guards, and wrongful arrest and imprisonment have been reported by people from key populations in various settings.
Several research projects and case studies have shown that we cannot end AIDS as a public health threat when the people most affected are excluded from equal access to services. To reduce and mitigate the stigma and discrimination experienced by people from key populations in justice settings, there is a need to routinely measure the attitudes and practices of police officers towards people from key populations to inform interventions.
Duty-bearers such as politicians, lawmakers, police officers and lawyers can be positive agents of change with regard to stigma and discrimination and access to justice, and can be trained and supported to fulfil this critical role.
A. Number of respondents who report discriminatory attitudes by responding “yes” to at least one of items 1–4 and/or “no” to at least one of items 5–7
1. It is OK to physically assault people who sell sex.
2. Sex workers are less deserving of police assistance and protection than other people.
3. It is appropriate to scold or verbally insult sex workers.
4. Confiscating the condoms of sex workers is acceptable.
5. Sex workers have the same right to access public spaces as everyone else.
6. Sex workers deserve to be treated with respect.
7. I should investigate the crimes reported by sex workers.
B. Number of respondents who report discriminatory attitudes by responding “yes” to at least one of items 1–4 and/or “no” to at least one of items 5–7
1. It is OK to physically assault gay men and other men who have sex with men.
2. Gay men and other men who have sex with men are criminals.
3. I do not trust the word of a gay men and other men who have sex with men reporting crimes.
4. It is appropriate to scold or verbally insult gay men and other men who have sex with men.
5. Gay men and other men who have sex with men have the same right to access public spaces as everyone else.
6. Gay men and other men who have sex with men deserve to be treated with respect.
7. I should investigate the crimes reported by gay men and other men who have sex with men.
C. Number of respondents who report discriminatory attitudes by responding “yes” to at least one of items 1–4 and/or “no” to at least one of items 5–7
1. It is OK to physically assault people who inject drugs.
2. People who inject drugs are less deserving of police assistance and protection than other people.
3. It is appropriate to scold or verbally insult people who inject drugs.
4. People who report or assist a person who is overdosing should be arrested or detained.
5. People who inject drugs have the same right to access public spaces as everyone else.
6. People who inject drugs deserve to be treated with respect.
7. I should investigate the crimes reported by someone who inject drugs.
D. Number of respondents who report discriminatory attitudes by responding “yes” to at least one of items 1–5 and/or “no” to at least one of items 6–7
1. It is OK to physically assault transgender people.
2. Transgender people are less deserving of police assistance and protection than other people.
3. I do not trust the words of transgender people reporting crimes.
4. It is appropriate to scold or verbally insult transgender people.
5. It is acceptable to force transgender people to dress as their original sex if they are arrested.
6. Transgender people have the same right to access public spaces as everyone else.
7. Transgender people deserve to be treated with respect.
Total number of respondents.
Numerator/denominator.
Police attitudes towards key populations survey. The indicators are constructed from responses to seven items. Some items are similar across the four key populations, and others are population-specific. See the technical brief for this survey for additional information on survey implementation, including sampling.
Every 3–5 years.
- Gender (male, female, other).
None.
This indicator directly assesses discriminatory attitudes towards people from key populations among police, which has been linked with heightened risk of HIV, poorer access to services, and reduced adherence to HIV treatment. The questions were developed with input from technical experts on key population stigma and discrimination, pretested with police officers reflecting a range of ranks, and piloted and validated with police officers in South Africa.
The recommended questions assess agreement with hypothetical situations rather than measuring events of discrimination witnessed. Social desirability bias may therefore occur, leading to underreporting of discriminatory attitudes.
Ideally, in addition to conducting surveys that measure the prevalence of discriminatory attitudes among police, qualitative data should be collected to inform about the origins of discrimination. It is also advisable to routinely collect data from people from key populations on their experiences of stigma and discrimination (e.g. via biobehavioural surveys), and to compare the findings with the data derived from the discriminatory attitudes indicator.
Analysis of data disaggregated by various characteristics of police officers surveyed, including gender, age and rank, may provide further insights to inform programmes.
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