A new study shows that some U.S. police officers often use the term “bad guys” to describe people who commit crime, especially when faced with ambiguity in their work. It is a label officers may use to reduce complex and morally challenging situations and contexts into a clearer, more legible framework.

The research was led by Abigail Henson, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at Arizona University, and coauthored by Jason R. Silver, associate professor of criminal justice at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, and Janani Umamaheswar, associate professor of criminology, law and society at George Mason University.

Published in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, the study is based on interviews with 35 officers in a mid-sized southwest U.S. city. Researchers explored how the officers drew on the “bad guys” archetype to classify people who commit crime, rationalize their authority, build their identity, and prepare for the possibility of using violence.

While the label simplifies moral evaluation, legitimizes authority, and enables rapid decision- making in high-stakes encounters, officers also recognize its instability, according to the authors. Yet even when officers think about the factors that shape law-breaking behavior, many talk about the necessity of the term and worry that without the moral clarity the “bad guy” archetype provides, their actions would feel uncertain or indefensible.

The study’s findings address issues related to discretion, judgment, and the possibility of reform, according to the authors.