Date of Conferral
2017
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Victoria Latifses
Abstract
Individuals observe their surroundings and naturally judge others by what they observe or
hear. In recent media portrayals, law enforcement officers were scrutinized for use of
force and individuals were quick to verbalize their interpretation of events. Bandura's
social learning theory served as a focal lens to guide the study. This qualitative
phenomenological study examined lived experiences and what factors influence public
perception of law enforcement use of force. Interviews were conducted with 10
participants who have encountered or witnessed law enforcement officers utilize use of
force during a citizen encounter. NVivo software was used to code and analyze themes
from interviews. The findings indicated lived experiences and emotions were high and
did influence perception of use of force. Participants explained a variety of emotions
when discussing their lived experiences. In addition, social media and mainstream news
media played an important role in shaping perception of police officer use of force. This
study promotes social change by presenting law enforcement agencies and society insight
on how to improve on public perception and understanding of use of force so community
relationships with law enforcement can flourish.
Recommended Citation
Fisk, Roxann Marie, "Society's Views of Law Enforcement Use of Force" (2017). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 4286.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4286
