Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
Longstanding tensions between police and communities of color have reached a boiling point in the United States. If we are to heal as nation, we must first acknowledge and move beyond entrenched societal stereotypes that reduce people of color, particularly black men, to suspected criminals who should be feared.
There have been many changes within the criminal justice system as a means to deter crime and to keep citizens safe. However, research demonstrates that often times men of color are treated harshly which leads to negative perceptions of police officers. The recent shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas have exposed many individuals and their families to incidents of police brutality that reminds us that as a society work needs to be done to improve police and community relations.
Families around the country are coming together to talk about the officer-involved shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and the ambush of police officers in Dallas, Texas. These events come shortly after the violence in Orlando. In fact, it seems that acts of violence are in the news on a regular basis. How do we begin to explain all of this to our children when we, as adults, are having our own difficulties with what is occurring?
Welcome back to In Case You Missed It (our weekly roundup of articles touching on psychology, health, mental health and social justice issues from multiple news and commentary websites). This week, we address the challenges affecting first year college students with mental health issues, PTSD affecting World War II veterans 70 years post conflict, the resilience of refugees streaming […]
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Lorie Fridell, PhD (Associate Professor of Criminology, University of South Florida) Do you claim to be color-blind? Do you believe that you do not notice when a person is Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, or Asian? Well then, you […]
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Suzanne Lea, PhD (Fellow, Interactivity Foundation, and Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County) News of a citizen being killed or assaulted by police, or a citizen who dies in police custody, seems to be nearly a […]
It was an incredibly busy news week! In this week’s In Case You Missed It (our roundup of articles touching on psychology, health, mental health and social justice issues from multiple news and commentary websites), we cover the landmark Supreme Court decisions on housing discrimination, marriage equality, and the Affordable Care Act, new data on fatal police shootings […]
In this week’s In Case You Missed It (a roundup of articles related to psychology, health, mental health and social justice collated from multiple news and commentary websites) we cover the racial double standard in media coverage of the Waco shooting compared with Baltimore, launching of a new Police Data Initiative, the sharp increase in suicide rates among […]
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 […]
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Tom Tyler, PhD (Professor of Law and Psychology, Yale Law School) Ferguson represents another step in the escalating failure of the “broken windows” view of crime that has gained ascendancy during the past generation. Under this approach, the […]
Psychology Benefits Society 