Teaching the Impacts of Bias: From Stratification to Systemic Disparities in Criminal Justice

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Advancing Critical Pedagogies: Trauma, Agency, Safety, and Inclusion in Criminology Classrooms

Abstract

Understanding how bias operates within criminal justice systems requires a pedagogical approach that links individual-level perceptions to broader structures of inequality. In my Intro to Criminal Justice class I use a multi-stage instructional model that guides students from foundational knowledge of social stratification to critical reflections on discretion and disparity. Through integrated lectures, experiential learning (e.g., Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes), implicit bias assessments, and applied analysis of a chosen stage in the justice process, students confront the role of bias—both personal and institutional—in shaping unequal outcomes. Emphasizing active discussion and self-reflection, the approach aims to cultivate critical consciousness and empower students to interrogate the systemic roots of injustice.

Author

• Samantha Kopf Apple, Bowling Green State University