Using Meta-Analytic Methods to Test the Impact of the Racial Threat Hypothesis on the Frequency of Homicides by the Police

• In Event: The Relationship Between Systemic Racism and Crime or Criminalization

Abstract

Based on a systematic survey of 57 macro-level studies that report the results of multi-variate, cross-sectional analyses, this presentation reports estimates of the relationship between various measures of racial threat and the frequency of homicides by the police in the United States. This review examines the relative strengths and weaknesses of the existing body of research, employing meta-analytic methods to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the threat hypothesis in this context. The presentation also suggests potential improvements in the design of future research and how the findings of these studies have been reported.

Authors

• Joel H. Garner, Joint Centers for Justice Studies

• Kyle Maksuta, Western Kentucky University

• Ron Malega, Missouri State University