By Camille R. Quinn, Elan C. Hope, and Qiana R. Cryer-Coupet, Housin Matters, July 8, 2020
Research only recently began to explore experiences that shape communities’ perceptions of police (PDF), but in the wake of the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Tony McDade, and others, the topic has been thrust into the national conversation. Adding to the emerging body of research, this study investigated how neighborhood cohesion (trust and feelings of belonging among community members) and stress from cultural racism influence Black adults’ perceptions of procedural justice (perceived fairness of policy conduct). Specifically, the authors explored how neighborhood cohesion and beliefs about procedural justice differed among adult Black caregivers based on prior contact with police.
The study recruited participants through the Black Families Project, a nationwide survey designed to understand the psychological, physical, economic, and political health of Black adolescents and their primary caregivers. The sample included 604 self-identified Black caregivers of adolescent children ages 14 to 17. Eighty-five percent identified as female, 74 percent as African American, 15 percent as African, 6 percent as Caribbean/West Indian, and 5 percent as multiethnic. Participants lived in 37 states and the District of Columbia, and a majority (56 percent) were from the South. Forty percent of caregivers had a four-year college degree or higher, 64 percent reported being employed, and the average reported annual income ranged from $45,000 to $54,999. Participants responded to a questionnaire that asked about the culture of policing in their neighborhoods, their experiences being stopped by the police, feelings of belonging and trust in their neighborhood, experiences with racism, and more.
Researchers analyzed the responses, controlling for age, gender, income, past police stops, and past arrests. They found that a stronger sense of neighborhood cohesion is associated with stronger perceptions of procedural justice and that this relationship is moderated by incidences of cultural racism-related stress.
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