Police as threat: The influence of race and the summer of Black Lives Matter on implicit and explicit attitudes towards the police

Abstract

Police officers partially rely on implicit and explicit stereotypes in their interactions with the public. We investigated if these attitudes are reciprocated, specifically, if people of color implicitly fear police, and whether the events of the summer of 2020 changed the public's attitudes about police. Seven hundred and fifty‐nine college students (235 BIPOC) participated, 373 in 2019, 386 in fall 2020. BIPOC participants more readily implicitly associated police officers with threat; implicit police‐as‐threat scores increased after the summer of 2020 regardless of race. Explicit attitudes showed the same pattern: BIPOC participants had less favorable attitudes of police; participants in Fall 2020 had less favorable attitudes of police. Implicit attitudes were predicted by race, time, the experience of being treated with (dis)respect, and an emphasis on the binding aspect of morality. Explicit attitudes were predicted by the same variables, as well as specific community variables, the moral foundation of individualizing, and implicit attitudes.

Perception in Uniform: A Study of Police Attitudes towards the Transgender Community in Pakistan

“…Although racial equality has been the primary focus of these campaigns, the points they raise also apply to the pursuit of gender equality. The results of the study add to this ongoing conversation around the world by highlighting the importance of rethinking police attitudes toward transgender people and other members of marginalised populations (Verhaeghen & Aikman, 2022).…”

“…Recognizing that sentiments toward the transgender population are complicated by the interplay of multiple social identities (such as gender, religion, and socioeconomic class), the study also takes intersectionality into account. This intersectional perspective is essential for comprehending the multifaceted character of transgender people's experiences of prejudice and discrimination in Pakistan (Verhaeghen & Aikman, 2022).…”

“…The Black Lives Matter movement revitalized the international dialogue about police attitudes and their effects on underprivileged communities. While this movement's primary focus was on racial discrimination, the issues it addressed are applicable across identities and contexts, including those involving gender diversity and the treatment of transgender people by law enforcement (Verhaeghen & Aikman, 2022). This research was motivated by a desire to add to the existing body of knowledge about police views regarding Pakistan's transgender community.…”

“We’re not the first and we’re not going to be the last”: Perspectives of system-involved black and Latinx young adults on racial injustice during the 2020 black lives matter protests

“…Moreover, participants had witnessed numerous instances of police brutality involving innocent Black civilians and their own community members, which cemented their beliefs that police officers are biased and consciously choose to criminalize Black and Latinx people while protecting white people. Other studies support that many Black and Latinx people hold the belief that the police and other apparatuses of the criminal legal system are racially biased and intentionally value white lives more than others (McCarthy et al, 2020; Owusu-Bempah, 2017; Verhaeghen and Aikman, 2022). Thus, firsthand experiences of dealing with the criminal legal system among the participants directly influenced their legal cynicism.…”

Plotting against justice: Conspiracy theory endorsement and opposition to criminal justice reform

“…411–442). “Tough on crime” policies like mandatory minimum sentencing have produced numerous unintended consequences for issues including racial justice and judicial discretion, that draw the effectiveness, utility, and legitimacy of such policies into question (Martin Jr., 2012; NeSmith, 2015; Ogletree, 2006). Racial bias within the police force has manifested in concrete outcomes, including increased shooting of Black individuals and other Persons of Color (Correll et al., 2014) and increased suspicion being shown towards BIPOC suspects (e.g., “driving while Black”; Baumgartner et al., 2018; Stelter et al., 2022), as well as undermining the perceived legitimacy of police within BIPOC communities (Verhaeghen & Aikman, 2022). …”