Workshop: Qualitative Research Workshop: Week 2

Police

Brutality

against

African

American

Male

s

The

recent

widely

publicized

tragic

deaths

of

African

Americans

at

the

hands

of

the

police

has

generated

a

public

debate

about

racism

in

policing.

A

lot

of

research

has

been

conducted

to

identify

and

understand

the

perception

of

the

African

Ame

ricans

about

the

police

and

the

consequences

of

racial

inequalities

on

policing

(Brunson,

2017).

Unfortunately,

limited

research

has

been

conducted

to

investigate

the

institutional

and

personal

influences

of

non

-

African

Americans

police

officers

on

how

they

treat

African

Americans.

Furthermore,

more

research

has

to

be

done

to

understand

the

history

of

policing,

to

identify

if

there

are

practices

within

the

force

that

motivate

officers

to

engage

in

unethical

behavior

against

racial

minorities

(Brunson,

2017).

The

aim

of

this

research

paper

is

to

investigate

the

literature

gaps

on

the

effects

of

perceptions

non

-

African

American

officers

have

on

how

they

deal

with

African

American

arrests

.

To

obtain

accurate

and

honest

information

from

the

police

for

ce,

the

data

collection

methods

would

involve

questionnaires

and

surveys

where

the

respondents

would

not

have

to

reveal

their

identities

(Chaney

&

Robertson,

2013).

The

research

questions

include,

what

indicates

that

an

African

American

male

is

a

criminal?

When

moving

to

make

an

arrest,

do

you

follow

the

correct

procedure

for

arrests,

or

do

you

let

your

emotions

guide

you

?

The

main

challenges

faced

when

developing

a

research

problem

was

that

there

is

a

common

knowledge

that

racism

and

criminalizi

ng

African

Americans

was

the

main

reason

behind

police

brutality

and

therefore,

there

is

a

high

possibility

that

most

of

the

police

officers

would

cite

this

as

the

main

reason

(Chaney

&

Robertson,

2013).

The

research

aims

at

uncovering

the

emotions

and

beh

avioral

changes

that

occur

when

police

officers

arrest

and

convict

African

American

males.

The

research

results

would

then

be

connected

to

the

results

on

the

history

of

policing

to

identify

patterns

.

Reference

s

Brunson,

R.

K.

(2017).

“Police

don't

like

bla

ck

people”:

African

-

American

young

men's

accumulated

police

experiences.

Criminology

&

public

policy,

6(1),

71

-

101

.

Chaney,

C.,

&

Robertson,

R.

V.

(2013).

Racism

and

police

brutality

in

America.

Journal

of

African

American

Studies,

17(4),

480

-

505

.

Police Brutality against African American Males

The recent widely publicized tragic deaths of African Americans at the hands of the

police has generated a public debate about racism in policing. A lot of research has been

conducted to identify and understand the perception of the African Americans about the police

and the consequences of racial inequalities on policing (Brunson, 2017). Unfortunately, limited

research has been conducted to investigate the institutional and personal influences of non-

African Americans police officers on how they treat African Americans. Furthermore, more

research has to be done to understand the history of policing, to identify if there are practices

within the force that motivate officers to engage in unethical behavior against racial minorities

(Brunson, 2017). The aim of this research paper is to investigate the literature gaps on the effects

of perceptions non-African American officers have on how they deal with African American

arrests.

To obtain accurate and honest information from the police force, the data collection

methods would involve questionnaires and surveys where the respondents would not have to

reveal their identities (Chaney & Robertson, 2013). The research questions include, what

indicates that an African American male is a criminal? When moving to make an arrest, do you

follow the correct procedure for arrests, or do you let your emotions guide you?

The main challenges faced when developing a research problem was that there is a

common knowledge that racism and criminalizing African Americans was the main reason

behind police brutality and therefore, there is a high possibility that most of the police officers

would cite this as the main reason (Chaney & Robertson, 2013). The research aims at uncovering

the emotions and behavioral changes that occur when police officers arrest and convict African

American males. The research results would then be connected to the results on the history of

policing to identify patterns.

References

Brunson, R. K. (2017). “Police don't like black people”: African-American young men's

accumulated police experiences. Criminology & public policy, 6(1), 71-101.

Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of

African American Studies, 17(4), 480-505.