Stereotype: Socioeconomic Status
Poor people or those representing low socioeconomic classes are stereotyped as idle and parasitic entities. The danger lies within the connection of deficits and deficiencies to structural elements that are not true to people. In the criminal court system, this may instigate the setting of an excessively high for someone with a low SES to pay. They may be forced to rely on an inadequate representation from the public defender in the court system. This perception is a frequent and harmful stereotype based on socioeconomic position.
Stereotype: Gender
A widespread gender stereotype refers to the misconception that women are not as brilliant as men. For decades, this has limited women’s professional, intellectual, social, and physical skills and opportunities. It has resulted in the exclusion of women from numerous positions in the criminal justice system. This stereotype may lead people to feel that women should not be allowed to be police officers because they lack the same level of intelligence as males. 26.8% of women work in law enforcement agencies in the United States, compared to 73.2 percent of males. This difference in employment demonstrates the unwillingness of females to actively participate in justice systems and limits the diversity of perspectives.
Stereotype: LGBTQ+ Status
The most disseminated stereotype with regards to the LGBTQ+ community is the preconception that lesbians despise men and are commonly referred to as “feminazis.” This behavior is dangerous and harmful not only to lesbians but also to other representatives of the LGBTQ+ population. This stereotype negatively affects society since it demonstrates lesbians as people who despise all forms of male attention. The situation may propagate discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in criminal justice contexts. Law enforcement officers may be hesitant to respond to calls from LGBTQ+ representatives or start an investigation. Similarly to prejudice against Latin Americans, ideas about a small minority of people are extrapolated to others.
Stereotype: Age
The stereotypical representation of people based on age includes a reference to teenagers as rebels. The widespread of such perception can be damaging since youth who need more social support may be misunderstood. Restorative justice and other forms of rehabilitation for rebellious delinquents should be prioritized by police officers and other members of law enforcement to ensure a bright future for the younger generation. Otherwise, the generation may naturally despise the government and legal agencies, creating a generation of criminals. It is necessary for professionals representing criminal justice to obtain prior education on the way to approach such teenagers.
Stereotype: Disability
A frequent disability stereotype is that all persons with autism are entirely disabled. This stereotype will affect professionals in criminal justice contexts who may fail to make the necessary adjustments to persons with impairments. They may dismiss their knowledge as useless since it was provided by someone with a handicap. In the study by Dickie et al., researchers identified that a limited number of criminal justice workers possessed experience in working with people that had autism.
Some struggled to address autism accurately and did not understand the way communication with the individual might be affected. This fact represents the difficulty of effective communication and affects the system overall. Autism is a continuum with multiple levels of severity and functioning; generalizing this is hazardous. If this stereotype is true, a person’s autonomy may be taken away.
History Behind Stereotyping
The history of people representing sexual orientations other than heterosexuals followed a long time of prejudice and oppression. In the United States, the first incidence of same-sex conduct occurred in 1566, and the perpetrator was sentenced to death since same-sex was prohibited by law and custom. The situation in the US started to change fairly recently with the establishment of the Society for Human Rights in 1924. Forty years later, Illinois abolished its sodomy laws in 1961.
In 1973 happened, they disregarded homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses. Actions against the LGBTQ+ community started in early human history. It is difficult to trace the exact chronology of gay treatment, as globally, the situation still has a long way to improve. Furthermore, the military of the United States had a role in the extermination of the LGBT community. The US military began to discharge lesbians and gays, then barred them from serving, making it difficult for them to find civilian work.
There are various stereotypes concerning LGBTQ+ representatives. In the United States, gay people are frequently portrayed as empathic. Before acceptance, some regarded acts of homosexuality with religious obsession as harmful and devilish. The origin of such a stereotype stems from the history of oppression and connectedness of the community and demonstrates a bonding of representatives. There are various stereotypes concerning LGBTQ+ representatives. Therefore, a single unharmful was chosen to provide a more comprehensive review of the issue.
Recent stereotypes about the gay community are not as harmful. It indicates that when compared to heterosexuals, LGBT persons are thought to be more empathetic and respectful of others. Furthermore, as members of the minority, homosexual people have undoubtedly faced problems and obstacles that have caused them to feel empathy for their peers.