Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Jameca Falconer, PhD (Counseling Psychologist, Logan University) After watching the horrors in Ferguson, Missouri, unfold only a few miles away from where I live, I began looking closely at social justice strategies as a way to heal […]
By Amalia Corby-Edwards (Sr. Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Government Relations Office) Do you know James Brady? Few Americans recognize his key role in shaping national gun policy. On March 30, 1981, 84 days into his tenure as President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary, multiple bullets intended for the President instead struck James […]
By Nichole Baker My full name is Nichole Marie Baker. I am 26 years old. I work full-time now, but plan to go back to school. I am from Morristown, New Jersey. I want to own a farm. I love kids, laughing, and meeting new people. I hate the news, social media, and violence. And… […]
By Tina Wolridge (Communications Coordinator, APA Public Interest Directorate) It seems that gun violence is all around my life. Homicides, assaults, robberies, shootings, and weapon violations are all a part of this world. Gun ownership is so deeply rooted into the lives of Americans that we must re-evaluate our strategy and approach gun violence as […]
By Clinton W. Anderson, PhD (Associate Executive Director, APA Public Interest Directorate) Deaths and injuries from firearms pose a substantial risk to public health. Firearms are involved in more than 50% of suicides and 70% of homicides. There are more than 30,000 firearm fatalities each year and more than 80,000 non-fatal firearm injuries requiring emergency medical […]
By Efua Andoh (APA Public Interest Directorate Communications Staff) The horrific shootings in Isla Vista, California on May 23 have given rise to a complex conversation on social media. The shooter’s disturbing YouTube videos and manifesto contained racist and misogynist rants revealing an attitude of male sexual entitlement and white male supremacy. Shockingly, after they came […]
By Gwendolyn Puryear Keita, PhD (Executive Director, Public Interest Directorate, American Psychological Association) The world is justifiably horrified at the abduction and trafficking of nearly 300 schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria. It is critical that the world understand the psychological impact of this terrorist act on the girls and their […]
By Christin P. Bowman, MS, MA (Doctoral student in Critical Social-Personality Psychology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York) **Trigger warning. This blog is about sexual violence.** Let’s make something clear right from the start: Rape is caused by rape culture. Rape culture has many ingredients, and like any successful recipe, once you […]
By Efua Andoh (APA Public Interest Directorate Communications Staff) The horrific shootings around the country (e.g., Newtown, CT; Fort Hood, TX; Aurora, CO; and the Navy Yard in Washington, DC) have prompted a renewed national debate on how best to prevent gun violence. Recognizing the critical role for the field of psychology in this discussion, APA […]
Psychology Benefits Society 