Stigma Related to Health Conditions and Offending Behaviors

Abstract

Stigma is a social construct that discredits people based on attributes regarded as undesired by the wider community. Previous research has regarded drug use as the most stigmatized health condition in the world and found that ceasing this behavior does not necessarily entail the disappearance of the associated stigma. This article explores preferences of social distance from stigmatized groups among a group of students training to be health or criminal justice professionals by using a series of vignettes that measure willingness to interact with people who are currently active in or ceasing substance use and offending behaviors in a range of contexts. Findings reveal that offending behaviors are at least as stigmatized as drug use, as well as show that several behaviors can have more long-standing discrediting effects than others. These results have profound implications for community reintegration and call attention to differential power relations between stigmatized and nonstigmatized people. Moreover, this study uncovers that stigma comprises public and private masks and how these entail different effects related to majorities and minorities and gender, as well as implications for current students who will hold positions of power. This article also reveals and frames the positive effects of teaching in health and wellbeing on destigmatization of health-related conditions. Additionally, this research explores the influence of previous contact experiences with stigmatized groups, thereby suggesting specific mechanisms and levels of intervention. Show more