Exposure to Police Use of Force, Perceived Police Legitimacy, and Personal Safety Interventions Among Black Emerging Adult College Students
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: Exposure to police violence is a public health concern for Black emerging adults ages 18-29 given its prevalence and association with negative health outcomes. However, research examining the role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions is scant. This study investigated the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions (reliance on police, self, or others) in a sample of Black emerging adults. Method: We administered computer-assisted surveys to Englishspeaking Black emerging-adult college students (N = 300) in St. Louis, MO, with a history of exposure to police use of force. Results: Findings from a bivariate analysis showed that exposures to police use of force as a victim, witness, or in the media were all significantly associated with perceptions of police as being less legitimate. In addition, findings from a path analysis revealed an indirect-only mediation effect of perceptions of police as being less legitimate in the relationship between seeing videos of police use of force in media and less reliance on police for personal safety. Conclusions: Attenuating gratuitous police use of force toward Black emerging adults is paramount for improving perceived legitimacy and trust in police to ensure personal safety for this population.
DOI: 10.1086/717586
Authors: Robert O. Motley, Sean Joe
Institutions: Boston College, Washington University in St. Louis
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G723533719
OpenAlex ID: W3205848947