The Biased Enforcement of Rarely Followed Rules

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Criminology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Phantom rules, defined as codified regulations that are frequently broken and rarely enforced, represent a unique area of social control.
• The differential enforcement of these rules based on demographic factors, particularly race, has significant implications for understanding social inequality and justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial disparities in the enforcement of phantom rules.
• To determine if the race of the individual breaking a rule influences the outcome of nonemergency calls.
• To explore the subjective experiences of rule enforcement across racial groups.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 10 years of 311 call data in New York City to assess arrest escalation rates based on neighborhood racial demographics.
• An experimental study manipulating the perceived race of a rule transgressor to gauge participants' likelihood of escalating a 311 call to 911.
• Qualitative exploration of the subjective experiences of phantom rule enforcement among people of color and White individuals.

Main Results:

• Calls from predominantly White neighborhoods were 65% less likely to result in arrest compared to those in neighborhoods where White individuals were the numerical minority.
• Participants high in social dominance orientation were more prone to escalate 311 calls to 911 when the transgressor was perceived as Black versus White.
• People of color reported a higher likelihood of punishment for violating phantom rules when compared to White individuals.

Conclusions:

• Evidence suggests that racism influences the enforcement of phantom rules.
• Racial bias in the escalation of nonemergency calls and the subjective experience of rule enforcement highlights systemic inequities.
• These findings underscore the need for critical examination of how social rules and their enforcement contribute to racial disparities.