A Study of Racially Traumatic Stressful Policing Shooting Events

• In Event: Perceptions of Justice and Law

Abstract

The American law enforcement community has historically demonstrated unjust scrutiny against minority members of society. Implicit bias, which modifies our attitude and forms the tendency to like or dislike, or to act favorably or unfavorably, toward someone or something has been argued to be related with the formulation of such scrutiny. In addition, research has shown that the Racially Traumatic Stressful Policing Shooting Events (RTS)not only affects the mental health of those who have been involved in the incidents but also negatively affects those who witness these events directly or indirectly. It is important to explore the implicit bias and impact in these events. The current research will examine both the implicit racial bias and the impact of RTS by using the criminal justice students sample from two universities. The research will help identify whether criminal justice students, the future employees of criminal justice agencies, have such biases and whether these events have impacts on them.

Author

• Yu Zhang, SUNY College at Brockport