Silenced Speech: Secondary Police Interactions, Coping, and Resiliency among Mothers of Black Children

• In Event: Trauma and Mental Health Among Justice-Involved Individuals and Families

Abstract

Critical Race Theory is a theoretical perspective which focuses on analyzing and critically examining the intersections of race, law, and power. Post-colonial Theory examines the same issues from a historical viewpoint, considering law and other institutions as purposefully designed to maintain power imbalances created during colonialism and which exploit non-whites to benefit white elites. Combining insights from these and other major theories into a new, broader framework, this qualitative study further explores lifelong and acute repercussions of race and power inequalities for blacks. It specifically explores how mothers of Black children feel about policing in their communities and against their children, and how they manage their mental health and their relationships with their children in a world of racialized police violence. In an environment where institutions, especially police, are known to be hostile to Black people based on racial bias and perceived criminal potential, it will examine the link between secondary exposure to police interactions and maternal mental health, as well as how mother's coping methods shape resiliency. In doing so, this grounded exploratory study contributes to the literature on the impact of policing and contemporary criminal justice policies on communities of color. Furthermore, this study extends studies about Black women’s mental health and coping mechanisms, the transmission and effect of secondary trauma, and the relationships of Black mothers and children.

Author

• Eden Ragsdale, University of California, Riverside