Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Sharon Xuereb

Abstract

African American men’s negative experiences with the police have impacted their trust of police. Many African American men have experienced psychological trauma, more specifically posttraumatic stress disorder, due to their encounters with police. As a result of these negative personal experiences, their reporting of crimes has decreased significantly, and gun-related violence is going unreported. There is limited literature on this topic. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the negative personal experiences that some African American men have with police officers and their experiences of trust of law enforcement. Personal construct theory, which is a theory that helps explain how a person processes a past event and then allows them to anticipate future events, guided this study. Data were collected in semi structured interviews with 10 African American men who had negative personal experiences with police. The following themes emerged from their responses: encounter with the police, helplessness, and what trust looks like with the police. The study has implications for positive social change including the potential to address the issue of trust between African American men and law enforcement, which can have positive effects on African American communities through the reporting of crimes and diminishing the fear of police. With more crimes reported, police can surveille areas that need a heavier presence of law enforcement to make the community feel safer.

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