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?
By Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia, PhD (Montclair State University) and Saba Rasheed Ali, PhD (University of Iowa) A Muslim mom, Melissa Chance Yassini, recently wrote on her Facebook page: Sad day in America when I have to comfort my 8 year old child who heard that someone with yellow hair named Trump wanted to kick all Muslims out of […]
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 […]
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 examine whether moms worry more than dads, the long-term effects of bullying on children, the lack of second chances that Black kids get in Baltimore, how to […]
Welcome to In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. We collate these articles from multiple news and commentary websites. Make sure to also check out these APA publications: Monitor on Psychology […]
Welcome to In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. This week, we have stories including what the Oklahoma University SAE fraternity scandal tells us about Americans’ understanding of racism, new research on teen […]
Welcome to our new feature – In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of recent news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. This week, we have stories ranging from a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of […]
Psychology Benefits Society 