chapter 1

Chapter 1 Resources

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The first chapter of your Dissertation Proposal is an overview of your study and is a synthesis of the material you include in Chapters 2 and 3.

To complete Chapter 1, you will need to:

  • Use the Prospectus Template to transfer information into Dissertation Template.
  • Describe the study topic, its relevance, and social change implications.
  • Justify the gap in research knowledge.
  • Justify the research problem.
  • State the purpose of the study.
  • Identify research questions.
  • Justify the theoretical or conceptual framework.
  • Indicate the nature of the study.

this is a qualitative study 

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https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/program-documents

please use a different work document my attached document is my prospectus 

must be 20 or more pages if necessary 

 MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE REVISIONS PROVIDED BY BOTH CHAIR MEMEBERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME 

1

3

An Examination of Police Brutality and its Impact on Victims’ Families

Jamisha Riddick

WaldenU

Title: An Examination of Police Brutality and Its Impact on Victims’ Families

Social Problem

Police brutality has negative effects on the victims themselves because the victims’ families are also affected by it. Police violence leads to mental health issues and sometimes death to the victims, which affects their families (Brunson & Wade, 2019). According to Miller and Vittrup (2020), it is estimated that since 2015, more than 1,000 people are killed annually by the police per The Mapping Police Violence Project.

Gaps in Literature

Limited research has been conducted to determine how police brutality affects the victims’ families and how it affects them. Research by Miller & Vittrup suggested that police violence causes either death or physical and emotional injury to people who directly experience it. According to Miller & Vittrup, communities are also affected mentally by high-profile incidents of police violence. For family members and friends who see their loved one injured or killed by the police under unexpected and unexplained circumstances can be terrifying (Miller & Vittrup, 2020).

Purpose

The focus of this research is to study the effects of police brutality on victims’ families. It aims at forming a connection between police brutality and its economic, psychological, and emotional impact on the well-being of victims’ families (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The research would study how the families of police brutality coped with seeing their family members injured or killed by law enforcement officers. The research study will advance the body of research concerning the impact of police brutality on the mental, social, psychological, and emotional well-being of victims’ families.

Significance

The findings of this research study cover a gap in the existing literature on police brutality by focusing on the perspective of the impact it has on the victims’ families as opposed to focusing racial profiling which has an abundance of previous researchers. The research on the effects of police brutality on victims’ families will supplement existing but limited research. There is existing literature on the issues affecting the families of the victims of police violence, and my research aims to add to the existing research. My research will provide professionals in the criminal justice system with information on how police brutality affects the families of the victims and the community. Victims of police brutality, have been consistently inattentive, branded, and even injured normally in research studies (Lyons et al. 2013).

The significance of this research aligns with the problem statement because of the alarming rate with which incidents of police brutality continue to increase poses a great population health risk, and stakeholders in the criminal justice system must be made aware of its dangers so that they can work on ways to reduce it and punish perpetrators (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The findings of this research can be used to present evidence of how police brutality is affecting families and offer insight to the society on the proper measures that are put in place to protect people from police violence.

Background

The main keywords used to search for materials on the topic, ‘effects of police violence on victims’ families’ on online databases, included mental health, social status, economic status, police violence, victim’s families, well-being, and psychological health (Alang et al., 2017). The online databases included those of different criminal justice departments across the United States and SAGE journals.

1. Miller & Vittrup (2020) provides information on both the direct and indirect impact of police and racial bias on the families of African American victims.

2. Bryant‐Davis et al., 2017 discuss about police brutality on racial and ethnic minorities and its effects on the families and communities of this population.

3. Brunson & Wade (2019) talks of how the police find it hard to gain the cooperation of communities on investigations such as urban gun violence. The article suggests that the reason for this may be because of how most communities have been direct and indirect victims of the effects of police brutality and that is why they do not trust them.

4. Alang et al., 2017 discusses about the effects of police brutality on the health of African Americans who happen to be the victims of police violence at disproportionate rates. This article provides insights that can be used by scholars in the sector of public health.

Theoretical Framework

The critical race theory is a practice of interrogating the role of racism and race in society. The critical race theory critiques how institutionalized racism and social construction of race and maintains a racial status system that lowers people of color to the bottom tiers. The critical race theory maintains that racism is not an issue of the past (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The theory acknowledges that the legacy of segregation, slavery, and the burden of second-class citizenship on African Americans and other people of color continues to exist in the social fabric of the United States.

The critical race theory relates to the issue of police brutality and its effects on the victims’ families keeping in mind that race is not biologically real but rather a socially constructed issue. The critical race theory states that racism is a problem that is codified in law and embedded into structured and public policies. Therefore, the issue of police brutality especially towards the African American population in disproportionate rates is caused by institutionalized racism and some public policies.

The critical race theory acts as the theoretical framework that explains the high rates of police brutality especially towards Black males. The negative stereotypes directed towards Black males creates an environment that justified killings and violence towards the said population by law enforcement officials. The critical race theory explains the concept of White Supremacy and how it has extended police brutality towards the African and African American population. The theory explains the history of racism and the part it plays in contemporary racism and oppression of the inferior races (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The history of racism, as explained by the critical race theory explains how racism evolves, giving an example of how long ago, Black men used to be lynched due to racial stereotypes, to how currently Black men are being victims of police brutality at disproportionate rates.

Research Questions

The main research question is what impact has police brutality had on the families of the victims How has the family experience impacted their perception of the police? How does race play a critical role in police brutality?

Research Methods

The nature of this study would be qualitative research with a repeated measures design with consistent comprehension of how families of victims of police brutality cope with seeing their loved one injured either physically or emotionally or killed at the hands of law enforcement agents. The research would use the phenomenological method that attempts to understand and make sense of the meanings of experiences of people. This research attempts to understand the experiences of families who have had their family members either killed or injured by police officers through police violence.

Sources of Data

The main sources of data would be the participants themselves and literature materials on the same topic and problem statement. The literature materials would be sorted according to relevance in terms of time and data presented. The literature materials would serve to supplement the information gathered from the phenomenological research.

Limitations, Challenges, or Barriers

The main challenge with conducting this research is that victims’ families may be reluctant to provide any information on how they have been forced to cope with the idea that their loved one was either injured or killed by people who were supposed to protect them. The reluctance could be from the fear of being a target for the perpetrators who would not want their identities revealed (Bryant‐Davis, T., Adams et al., 2017). Families may also be reluctant because they would not like to relive their worst nightmare as they recounted their experiences of seeing their loved on in pain or dead.

Aligned Research Study

This research problem statement aligns with the social problem which is how police brutality affects victims’ families. It also aligns with the research method which is a phenomenological study. The phenomenological study seeks to explain and gain understanding of human experiences. The research question also aligns with the research problem, which is the effects of police brutality of victims’ families.

References

Alang, S., McAlpine, D., McCreedy, E., & Hardeman, R. (2017). Police brutality and black health: setting the agenda for public health scholars. American journal of public health, 107(5), 662-665.

Brunson, R. K., & Wade, B. A. (2019). “Oh, hell no, we don’t talk to police” Insights on the lack of cooperation in police investigations of urban gun violence. Criminology & Public Policy, 18(3), 623-648.

Bryant‐Davis, T., Adams, T., Alejandre, A., & Gray, A. A. (2017). The trauma lens of police violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 852-871.

Delgado, R., &, J. (2017). Critical race theory. New York University Press.

Lyons, H. Z., Bike, D. H., Ojeda, L., Johnson, A., Rosales, R. & Flores, L. Y. (2013). Qualitative research as social justice practice with culturally diverse populations. Journal of Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 5(2), 10-25.

Miller, C., & Vittrup, B. (2020). The indirect effects of police racial bias on African American families. Journal of Family Issues, 41(10), 1699-1722.

20

An Examination of Police Brutality and Its Impact on Victims’ Families

Jamisha Riddick

Walden University

Dr, Grace Telesco

2/24/2022

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Comment by Grace Telesco: be sure to strictly adhere to the template

When cops actively mistreat civilians, either verbally or physically, it is referred to as police brutality. Excessive force is employed to intimidate others, either physically or psychologically. This form of savagery has swiftly expanded over the world and has always been featured in the press. It involves sexual assault by police, unlawful arrests, racial bias, police corruption, and oppression. Excessive force is frequently used against vulnerable community groups such as the elderly, the poor, and the disabled. The major issue with police brutality is that the officers who are meant to protect citizens are the ones who kill them, and then eventually get away with no consequences. A conclusion will be reached based on the study of cases of police brutality, which will either lead to a solution or even more condemnation. Comment by Grace Telesco: this section contains a great deal of definitive statements that all will require in text citations Comment by Grace Telesco: remove this last sentence or reword it.

Police officers are viewed as law enforcers responsible with maintaining society’s law and order. Despite the dangers that police officers encounter on the job, they occasionally choose to use unreasonable force even when the circumstances do not permit it. The police seize the suspects, violently pat them down, force them against a wall, and even shoot them without being armed, which is known as police brutality (Charney and Robertson, 2013). The topic of police brutality is frequently overlooked, with most people dismissing police brutality complaints as fabrications since, in the vast majority of cases, the officers involved are always shielded by their local police agencies (William, 2015). The goal of the study is to show how police brutality is a major problem that politicians must address. Although the vast majority of police officers do their best to keep the public safe, there are times when cops employ excessive force, resulting in cruelty for the victims.

According to figures from the Bureau of Justice, police are responsible for around 5,000 fatalities worldwide. Although the majority of these incidents occurred in impoverished countries, police brutality is a global issue that impacts even industrialized countries (Haider, 2014). Other police brutality events have been recorded in Israel, Venezuela, Pakistan, and Canada, in addition to the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. According to available statistics, cops frequently use excessive force against criminals and even innocent people. The most depressing part is that the majority of cops found guilty of cruelty received just minor disciplinary actions. In South Africa, for example, police brutality charges increased by 300 percent in 2012, yet only 1% of those allegations resulted in the officer being prosecuted; the rest were dismissed as unsubstantiated, and so could not be prosecuted in law courts (Haider, 2014). Comment by Grace Telesco: cite BJS

Minority populations are the most vulnerable to police brutality. Minorities, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and Mexican nationals, are the most frequently targeted by the ruthless police force. According to a Harvard University report, police violence is more likely among African-Americans and Hispanics than among other races. Furthermore, the data shows that police violence towards African-Americans is not a new problem, but has existed for a long time (Nodjimbadem, 2017). According to the report, four out of every five males who were victims of police violence were from minority ethnicities. It is apparent that police officers have decided to blatantly enforce the present state of obvious prejudice rather than serve and protect the people as the police code of conduct requires. Another research found parallels between the contemporary state of police encounters with black people and unresolved historical injustices, although the reasoning lacks sufficient evidence to sustain the assertion (William, 2015). Furthermore, the same study discovered that the brutality rates were the same whether police encounters with the suspect took place in a high- or low-crime area. In fact, while dealing with African-American and Hispanic criminals, 50% of police officers are more inclined to use force than when dealing with white suspects (William, 2015). Comment by Grace Telesco: each time you make a definitive statement it requires citations Comment by Grace Telesco: editorializing needs citation

Some argue that the dominant group’s long-held conviction in superiority has contributed to the devaluation of Black life, particularly in the United States (particularly among males), and so serves as a justification for law enforcement activities (Embrick, 2015). If entrenched systemic racism or the idea in White supremacy are not the root causes of the tumultuous interaction between police officers and Black males, more research is needed. When confronting Black guys, police officers appeared to use more excessive force than when confronting other groups. To gain knowledge and understanding of Black males’ perception excessive and confrontational interactions with law enforcement officials, it is necessary to investigate not only historical underpinnings, but also White Privilege, police training procedures, the mental state of law enforcement officials during points of contact, and physiological variables that may impact the behaviors of law enforcers during a scenario in which Black males are viewed as violent threats. Comment by Grace Telesco: reword

Social Change Implication

Since the victims’ families are also impacted by police brutality, it has a detrimental impact on the victims themselves. Victims of police brutality suffer from mental health concerns and, in some cases, death, which has an impact on their relatives (Brunson & Wade, 2019). Miller and Vittrup (2020) estimate that since 2015, police have killed over 1,000 individuals yearly, according to The Mapping Police Violence Project.

There is also a necessity investigate on some of the causes of police brutality and determine whether or not it was truly harsh. The decision to use police violence sprang from the necessity to find a way to cope with the criminal status of black people seeking retribution after enslavement. To deal with the situation, the only option was to make them flee in terror while also assisting them, or to arrest the majority of them. To label the link between police brutality and racism as racism is debatable, especially given that blacks may have a high crime rate, resulting in many of them being murdered or imprisoned. Comment by Grace Telesco: grammar issue

Some of the police killings that have been labeled as horrific occurred during raids on criminals. The debate centers on police statements that they kill because they believe their lives are in danger. Due to a lack of proof, several courts have ruled in favor of police officers. However, the police who are expected to undertake investigations may be hampered by the lack of such evidence. It’s fascinating to have evidence that connects cruelty to racial inequalities. To do so, you’ll need to consider both sides of the argument. Comment by Grace Telesco: needs citation

Unfortunately, when a criminal accuses the police of cruelty, they risk misusing their authority. Such instances will aid in identifying when a police officer is on the approach of committing outright police brutality. However, some reported occurrences are overstated, focusing on cops who are labeled as cruel without taking into account their circumstances. Cruelty, on the other hand, has become all too simple to criticize and accuse at times. When someone fights arrest, for example, they may be injured in the process. Police officers are in a perfect position to make split-second choices when confronted with a criminal wielding a weapon. In such cases, the departments involved fail to handle the post-research in a manner that results in appropriate transparency. Even when reasonable force is used, they may fail to file the required charges. The general public is furious with the cops (Wihbey, & Kille, 2016). Comment by Grace Telesco: all sounds like editorializing needs empirical augmentation and citation

When there was an increase in migration to the United States, so did police violence. The mix of people led in a great deal of prejudice and hate crimes (Taylor, 2021). There existed a barrier between the police, who were the law enforcers, and the general public. In well-known cities, police violence resulted in cover-ups and apathy. The 1969 episode known as “the massacre of the black panther,” in which a police crackdown led to the deaths of several individuals, is a case in point. African American organizations were blamed for promoting racial violence.

There were reports of harsh policing that went unpunished. This means that even though the bulk of the events involved white cops and black defendants, the police engaged were never held responsible for their actions. Following any act of cruelty, the public is always quite active in raising awareness; on occasion, they protest and even inflict destruction. As a result, they are ignored, and officers are never given an equivalent or acceptable sentence. This categorizes such brutality as a failure of the judicial system rather than a criminal crime The police officer has been known to turn off cameras during interactions. At such moments, they shatter the faith that has been placed in them. It is not difficult to discern because there is no sudden conflict in this circumstance. Journalists have uncovered several instances of police brutality. Police reporters have played an important role in raising public awareness of the issue. There are no laws prohibiting police aggression, and officers’ mental problems are rarely treated. Comment by Grace Telesco: citations needed

Gaps in Literature

There has been little study done to see how police violence impacts the victims’ family and how they are affected. According to Miller and Vittrup research, persons who are directly affected by police brutality die or suffer bodily and mental harm. According to Miller and Vittrup, high-profile acts of police aggression have a profound impact on communities. It may be terrible for family members and friends to witness their loved one being harmed or killed by the police under unexpected and inexplicable circumstances (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). Comment by Grace Telesco: correct citation needed here. You can’t mention the author and not have the date cited

A number of studies have been published that focus on the outcomes of police brutality research. The researches focused on citizen complaints against police (Ariel et.al, 2017, White et.al, 2017, Braga et.al, 2017), police officers use of force (Jennings et.al, 2017, Henstock & Ariel, 2017) officer decisions to apprehend or issue citation (Headley et.al, 2017, Braga et.al, 2017) and police officer attitudes towards body wearable cameras. The results of these investigations were varied, with some claiming that body worn cameras reduced the use of force in specific experiments. However, officers indicate that cameras do not improve transparency, accountability, reduce public complaints, or reduce officer use of force, leading to an increase in incidences of police brutality, according to Headley et al, (2017). For example, the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the most recent incident. The incident triggered “Black Lives Matter” protests throughout the world, with the goal of addressing concerns of police brutality.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to look at how police violence affects victims’ families. Its goal is to establish a link between police brutality and the economic, psychological, and emotional consequences for victims’ families (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The study will look into how families of victims of police violence dealt with seeing their loved ones hurt or murdered by cops. The study will add to the corpus of knowledge about the impact of police violence on victims’ families’ mental, social, psychological, and emotional well-being. Police Brutality is unmistakably defined as the use of extreme physical violence. However, as others have pointed out, cruelty extends beyond physical violence. The victims’ family are subjected to emotional and sexual abuse, as well as verbal attack and psychological intimidation. Comment by Grace Telesco: this needs clarification and citation

General Objective

Generally, the study examines policy brutality and its effects on victims’ families.

Specific Objectives

i) To investigate the causes of police brutality especially for minority communities Comment by Grace Telesco: you mention later that you will be doing a “survey method” and calling it “descriptive” while at the same time calling it qualitative and mentioning here “cause/effect relationships and that requires quantitative and experimental designs. Remove the objectives

ii) To determine the effect of police brutality on victim’s families

iii) To assess alternative nonviolent mechanisms that the law enforcement can adopt to minimize the effects of police brutality to minority groups.

Research Questions

i) What drives police to use excessive force? Comment by Grace Telesco: how will you measure these? You must discuss the details of how you plan to measure these later on in Methods and Sources of Data. Those two sections need to align with these RQs and you must detail exactly what your plan is.

ii) How has the family experience impacted their perception of the police?

iii) How does race play a critical role in police brutality?

iv) Which alternative nonviolent mechanism can be adopted by police to minimize the effects of police brutality to families in different communities?

Relevance of the Study

The findings of this research fill a vacuum in the current literature on police brutality by concentrating on the impact on victims’ families rather than racial profiling, which has been the subject of several earlier studies. The study will augment current but limited studies on the consequences of police violence on victims’ relatives. There is already a body of knowledge about the difficulties that impact the families of victims of police brutality, and my study wants to add to it. My research will give criminal justice practitioners with information on how police violence impacts victims’ relatives and the community. In study studies, victims of police abuse have been frequently distracted, labeled, and even harmed (Najdowski, Bottoms, & Goff, 2015).

The significance of this research aligns with the problem statement because of the alarming rate with which incidents of police brutality continue to increase poses a great population health risk, and stakeholders in the criminal justice system must be made aware of its dangers so that they can work on ways to reduce it and punish perpetrators (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The findings of this research can be used to present evidence of how police brutality is affecting families and offer insight to the society on the proper measures that are put in place to protect people from police violence.

The main issue with police brutality is that the officers who are meant to protect people are the ones who murder the majority of them! Finally, they got away with no repercussions. Police brutality is directed towards specific races. Hudson’s experience in St. Louis was that of a gangster in an area where officers referred to everyone of color as a thug. Because of their color, even bystanders became victims (Hudson, 2014). Cops, on the other hand, were cursed at first sight and are prone to disappointment. Cops may respond to minor infractions while tracing a black lady and other brown males. Others, however, do not fit into this category and do not agree of how the other corrupt officials behave themselves. Their ruthlessness is fueled by the knowledge that if they are captured, their friends would be the ones to question them.

There are a substantial number of police personnel that would purposefully violate human rights leading to unnecessary arrests (Hudson, 2014). Some police officers do not handle mental health issues effectively. They end up physically breaking such persons in order to transfer them to a hospital for treatment. The racial split reveals statistical inequalities. According to research conducted in Cincinnati, the majority of policemen implicated in allegations of police violence were white (Suresh, 2014). As a result of these studies, a perception has emerged that white male cops are the harshest, based on the number of black males killed by police officers. Black cops also carry a harsh anti-black racial prejudice which shows how the law enforcement does not prejudice against any race when it comes to the use of excessive force.

Background

Many prosecutions involving cops and black women have ended in mistrials (Wihbey & Kille, 2016). Police work has been proposed as a solution to such problems, but given the complexity of law enforcement tasks, it is unlikely to succeed. Only a few occasions have police officers used fatal force in moments of extreme stress. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics study, police violence was the main cause of death in police detention cells. Police training has been blamed for the emergence of police violence. According to a Philadelphia report, there were 394 instances of excessive police force. This research article revealed a need in policy training on deadly force policy.

Records of the number of police officers murdered in shootings each year are not always published which is debatable truth relating to the number of individuals who die because of police brutality.. As a result, analyzing one side of these incidents is unfair, because police officers are also assaulted. Despite the fact that the number of persons murdered in police shootings is unknown, Harden claims that at least five black males are killed every month while they are unarmed (Harden, 2017). The study concludes that police violence against black people is on the rise.

Another flaw that contributes to law enforcement officials engaging in violence is their tendency to approach unavoidable disputes with a sense of superiority. They use the power of their weapons and believe that they are representing the state. The feelings of being professionals with an army at their disposal cause them to act erratically. The truth is that their firearms are liabilities, and they must protect them from suspicion. Those who are disadvantaged by intervening in new terrain situations, within someone’s area, and spectators who are not always on their side. The majority of the scenarios are dangerous; they have a fear of impending danger in numerous settings (David, 2014). Ethnic minorities, who have been victims of police brutality, either directly or indirectly, may have nightmares, flashbacks, or attempt to avoid interaction with police officers (running from police, etc.). They may also maintain a psychological state of high surveillance, on shield against the potential of abuse at the hands of law enforcement (Bryant-Davis et.al, 2017).

Police brutality is a matter of those in power vs. those who need their peace, and it is a problem that many people face on a daily basis. Surprisingly, just around half of all people are impacted by the harshness, according to study. The majority of the allegations in these cases are racially motivated. It originated when persons who claimed to be Democrats took on the responsibility of attempting to improve the lives of others via the use of existing governmental welfare programs. They employed the assisting programs they launched in their efforts to help the underprivileged. Surprisingly, issues of racism, poverty, and criminality grew throughout the welfare system, pushing such programs to close. However, statistics show that black individuals have the largest percentage of criminals. Police officers under the authority of their governments interfered to bring the situation under control, but their actions resulted in the deaths of black people. Currently, incidences of police violence are rare, with only a handful perhaps going unnoticed by the public.

Individuals who witness police brutality and other forms of police violence suffer mental health and well-being consequences. In this context, victimization is defined as the result of a person or institution’s purposeful activity to oppress or injure another. According to studies, there is a link between police victimization and depression or other psychological problems among the family of the victims. Families of police brutality victims go through a lot of pain that is often overlooked and misunderstood. When a first incident of police brutality occurs, families keep growing politically. The families have been expecting justice from the beginning. The incidents, however, continue, and most family members and societies respond in a way that they believe would get their point through. Attempts to process the injustice cause anguish and terror, which can exhaust the body’s stress response system.

According to Miller and Brigitte’s (2020) research, African Americans in the United States have historically faced innumerable types of tyranny and repression stemming from slavery. The expanding civilization is concentrating its efforts on eliminating racial differences and moving toward a post-racial society which promotes equality. Despite these attempts, police enforcement continues to use discriminatory methods such as violence. Individuals in African American communities face physical, social, and emotional issues as a result of the brutality. Victims of police violence are more likely than any other group to be profiled, incriminated, unfairly committed, brutally punished, and imprisoned for crimes (Miller and Brigitte, 2020). Families of the victims are ostracized in the community as a consequence of the injustice directed towards the minority population, and they are mentally tortured as a result of being separated from their loved ones and live in terror of being the next victims.

Police brutality has an impact on public health because it reduces life expectancy, which is a key indication of population health. It causes death, lowers life expectancy, and raises mortality rates in some groups. According to Alang et al., (2017), family of victims who live in minority groups are more likely to be targeted, which increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. As a result of their harsh treatment, the families’ health has deteriorated. One of the most difficult things of having a loved one slain by police is how powerless the families become in the eyes of those in positions of authority. At best, the minority group is an annoyance; at worst, they are a threat. Even the most fundamental information is withheld from them. Consider this: families are forced to become full-time advocates, battling for the bare minimum of human decency, during the most terrible, sad, and awful period of their life. Families grieve because they are unable to replace the void left by their loved ones’ deaths. Furthermore, the culprits may walk free, leaving families to contend with misleading narratives about their loved ones. They are subjected to psychological anguish as a result of the threats of violence they face as a result of their advocacy.

However, there are aspects of the anguish of witnessing a Black person being victimized or killed by a police officer that most non-Black people are unaware of, beginning with the historical significance of these acts and the communal grief they elicit. The systematic oppression and depreciation of individual lives is exemplified by police killings of Black people. The victims were killed because they were perceived as a danger. They perish because law enforcement authorities do not place a high value on their lives at the time. So, it’s the stress of losing someone who resembles a family member and what that implies for the society, the stress of understanding that loss is rooted in the color of a person’s skin, as a second-class citizen as a Black person or an indigenous person.

Evidence shows that police shootings of people have long-reaching consequences that affect communities across the country, well beyond the relatives and social circles of those who knew the person who died. The constant fear of police brutality can have a profound psychological impact on those who are most sensitive to it, such as those who are most likely to be hurt, murdered, or traumatized at the hands of the cops. Because of unfavorable tales about the victims, their relatives are experiencing stress and anticipation. The tension has grown so persistent that it is invisible as part of the day-to-day lives of populations who are preferentially policed (Alang et al., 2017). The unpredictability of it, [not knowing] when it will begin and when it will cease, makes a stressor incredibly persistent and really unpleasant, and substantially more connected with mental health. It’s that unpredictability combined with a constant stressor that causes police violence to have such a negative influence on mental health.

Police brutality, like all kinds and threats of violence, causes stress, which has a variety of health consequences. Evidence shows that the constant stress of looming danger, the real life experience, and the detrimental aftermath of police brutality in all of its forms (physical, emotional, verbal) on a personal (firsthand or secondhand) and societal level can have damaging consequences on people’s mental and physical health. These are stressful situations that wear down the physiological systems of people of color, increasing the allostatic load and causing weathering (Alang et al., 2017). Psychological interpersonal trauma occurs when a person’s life or physical integrity is threatened, and the experience overwhelms the person’s ability to cope by causing emotions of hopelessness or acute dread (Bryant Davis et al, 2017).

Victims of police brutality are more likely to engage in urban gun crime. Police brutality, according to Brunson and Wade (2019), affects African-Americans’ collective opinion that police are incapable of, or uncaring about, efficiently tackling violence in disadvantaged communities of color while seemingly always managing to safeguard the courageous majority. As a result, victims’ relatives obtain firearms as part of their participation in condemning police wrongdoings under the guise of self-defense. As a result, police brutality discriminates against African-American communities, increasing the desire for individuals to participate in gun violence, particularly in metropolitan regions where the majority of crimes occur.

Theoretical Framework

The process of questioning the role of racism and race in society is known as critical race theory. The critical race theory criticizes how institutionalized racism and socially constructed of race perpetuate a racial status system that places people of color at the bottom of the food chain. According to critical race theory, racism is not a thing of the past (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The idea recognizes that the legacies of discrimination, slavery, and the hardship of second-class citizenship on African Americans and other people of color remains in the social fabric of the United States.

The critical race theory addresses the topic of police brutality and its consequences for victims’ families, bearing in mind that race is a socially created issue rather than a biological one. Racism is an issue, according to critical race theory, that is institutionalized in legislation and incorporated in structural and governmental policies. As a result, entrenched racism and some governmental policies are to blame for disproportionately high incidence of police violence against African Americans.

The critical race theory serves as a theoretical framework for understanding the high incidence of police brutality, particularly against Black males. The negative perceptions thrown at Black males create a climate that allows law enforcement officers to justify homicides and violence against that demographic. The notion of White Supremacy and how it has expanded police violence towards the African and African American people are explained by critical race theory. The theory describes the history of racism as well as its role in current racism and oppression of minorities (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The history of racism, as presented by critical race theory, illustrates how racism progresses, citing examples such as how Black men were formerly lynched owing to ethnic stereotypes, and how Black men are now disproportionately victims of police brutality.

The retributive theory of punishment is another theory that might be used in this investigation. The retributive theory of punishment, developed and elaborated by Hart (1967), states that criminals in society must be punished for their wrongdoings in order to prevent them from committing similar or even different crimes in the future. Proponents of this idea also argue that the harshness of punishment should be proportional to the seriousness of the offense. The study is anchored by three main tenets of this theory: a person may be punished only if he or she has knowingly and willingly committed the offence, the suitable punishment must be comparable to the gravity of the offence, and the rationale for punishment is the moral uprightness of returning anguish for knowingly and willingly committed immorality (Bedau, 1978). As a result, police violence might be seen as a proportional response to the failure to provide justice for crimes committed during the disturbance. From the perspective of the victims’ families, the motivation behind police brutality is to dissuade law enforcement from engaging in similar acts in the future since their actions have a negative impact.

Research Methods Comment by Grace Telesco: need to align with your RQs and you must DETAIL exactly what your plan is. See my notes from above.

The structure or design that a researcher plans to use in a study to gather, analyze, and evaluate data is referred to as research design, and it is a critical component of the overall research effort (Bernard & Bernard, 2012). This study will use descriptive research, particularly the survey method, to explain the relationship between dependent variable (signified by causes and effects of police officers’ use of excessive use of force and nonviolent alternatives) and racial bias suppression and provide additional insight into the area under study. This would be a qualitative study with a similar experiment, with a consistent understanding of how families of victims of police brutality cope with witnessing their loved one hurt physically or emotionally or killed by law enforcement officials. The study would employ the phenomenological technique, which aims to comprehend and make sense of people’s experiences. This study aims to learn more about the perspectives of families whose loved ones have been killed or injured by police officers as a result of police brutality. The qualitative approach is critical for obtaining data that convey information on respondents’ (victims’ families) values and views about the study issue, as well as how those values and insights influences their behavior.

Sources of Data

The participants themselves, as well as reading materials on the same topic and issue statement, would be the primary sources of data. The literature items would be arranged according to their timeliness and data presentation. The literary materials would supplement the information gained from the phenomenological inquiry. The research will look at empirical studies and other related literature to figure out what causes police brutality and how it affects victims’ families.

Limitation, Challenges, or Barriers

The major challenges in conducting this study is that victims’ relatives may be hesitant to share details about how they have dealt with the fact that their loved one was harmed or murdered by individuals who were meant to protect them. The apprehension might stem from a fear of becoming a target for the criminals, who would like their identities not to be known (Bryant-Davis, T., Adams et al., 2017). Families may also be hesitant because they don’t want to repeat their darkest nightmares as they describe seeing their loved ones in agony or dying. For fear of repercussions from law enforcement, the victims’ family may be hesitant to be honest with the facts they provide. Families may also be hesitant to respond because of the trauma they are still experiencing as a result of losing a loved one, or some may be mentally damaged by the incidents.

Aligned Research Study

The social topic of how police violence impacts victims’ relatives is addressed in this study problem statement. The issue statement is founded on the dominant group’s long-held belief in superiority, which devalues other individuals, therefore serving as a justifier for law enforcement activities that have varying repercussions on victims’ families. It also corresponds to the research methodology, which is a phenomenological investigation. The goal of phenomenology research is to explain and comprehend human experiences. The study problem, which is the consequences of police violence on victims’ families, is likewise aligned with the research question.

References

Alang, S., McAlpine, D., McCreedy, E., & Hardeman, R. (2017). Police brutality and black health: setting the agenda for public health scholars. American journal of public health, 107(5), 662-665.

Ariel, B., Sutherland, A., Henstock, D., Young, J., & Sosinski, G. (2017a). The deterrence spectrum: Explaining why police body-worn cameras ‘work’ of ‘backfire’ in aggressive police-public encounters. Policing, A Journal of Policy and Practice, DOI: 10.1093/police/paw051.

Ariel, B., Sutherland, A., Henstock, D., Young, J., Drover, P., Sykes, J., Megicks, S., & Henderson, R. (2017b). “Contagious Accountability”: A Global Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Citizens’ Complaints Against the Police. Criminal Justice and Behavior, DOI: 10.1177/0093854816668218, 1–24

Bedau, H. A. (1978). Retribution and the Theory of Punishment. The Journal of Philosophy, 75(11), 601-620.

Bernard, H. R., & Bernard, H. R. (2012). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Sage

Braga, A., Coldren, J., Sousa, W., Rodriguez, D., & Alper, O. (2017). The Benefits of Body-Worn Cameras: New Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trail at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Final report submitted to the National Institute of Justice, 2013-IJ-CX-0016.

Brunson, R. K., & Wade, B. A. (2019). “Oh, hell no, we don’t talk to police” Insights on the lack of cooperation in police investigations of urban gun violence. Criminology & Public Policy, 18(3), 623-648.

Bryant‐Davis, T., Adams, T., Alejandre, A., & Gray, A. A. (2017). The trauma lens of police violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 852-871.

Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of African American Studies, 17(4), 480-505. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12111-013-9246-5

Delgado, R., &, J. (2017). Critical race theory. New York University Press.

Embrick, D. G. (2015). Two nations revisited: The lynching of black and brown bodies, police brutality and racial control in post-racial Amerikkka. Criminal Sociology. 41, (6)835-843.

Haider M (2014). Police Brutality is a Global Phenomenon. Huffington post News Website. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/murtaza-haider/policebrutality_b_5694809.html

Harden, K. (2017). Exposure to Police Brutality Allows for Transparency and Accountability of Law Enforcement, 33 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 75 (2017). UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law, 33(2), 2.

Headley, A., Guerette, R., & Shariati, A. (2017). A Field Experiment of the Impact of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) on Police Office Behavior and Perceptions. Journal of Criminal Justice, 53: 102-109.

Henstock, D. & Ariel, B. (2017). Testing the effects of police body-worn cameras on use of force during arrests: A randomized controlled trial in a large British police force. European Journal of Criminology, DOI: 10.1177/1477370816686120.

Lyons, H. Z., Bike, D. H., Ojeda, L., Johnson, A., Rosales, R. & Flores, L. Y. (2013). Qualitative research as social justice practice with culturally diverse populations. Journal of Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 5(2), 10-25.

Miller, C., & Vittrup, B. (2020). The indirect effects of police racial bias on African American families. Journal of Family Issues, 41(10), 1699-1722.

Nodjimbadem K. (2017). The long Painful History of Police brutality in the U.S. Smithonian Magazine Website. Retrieved from

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianinstitution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/

Taylor, C. (2021). Fight the power: African Americans and the long history of police brutality in New York City. NYU Press.

Wihbey, J., & Kille, L. W. (2016). Excessive or reasonable force by police? Research on law enforcement and racial conflict. Journalist’s Resource.

Williams, K. (2015). Our enemies in blue: Police and power in America. New York: AK Press Publishers. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12111-013-9246-5

17

Abstract

[Dissertation Title]

by

[your official name]

MA, [university], 20XX

BS, [university], 20XX

Dissertation (or Proposal) Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Management

Walden University

[last month of term you graduate] 20XX

Abstract

Abstract text is double-spaced with no paragraph breaks. Describe the overall research problem being addressed in the first couple of sentences and indicate its important (e.g., who would care if the problem were solved). You can include a general introduction of the issue in the first sentence, but move to a clear statement of the research problem being addressed. Identify the purpose and theoretical foundations, if appropriate, summarize the key research question(s), and briefly describe the overall research design, methods, and data analysis procedures. Identify the key results, one or two conclusions, and recommendations that capture the heart of the research. Conclude with a statement on the implications for positive social change. Do not include references or citations in the abstract. Per APA style, spell out numbers nine and below, and use numerals for numbers 10 and above. If a number is the first word of a sentence, always spell it out. For listed items within a paragraph like this, (a) use letters, not numbers, in parentheses; (b) separate items with commas unless; (c) there is already a comma in one of the clauses. In that case, separate the elements with a semicolon. See the Walden Center for Research Quality for more information on the

Litmus Test

for the problem statement as well as on abstracts. In addition to the four elements in the Litmus Test, the PhD in Management adds a fifth element: connects with positive social change. Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good. Show how your dissertation will connect with positive social change.

[Dissertation Title]
by
[your official name]
MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX

Dissertation (or Proposal) Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Management

Walden University
[last month of term you graduate] 20XX

Dedication

This is an optional page for a dedication. It does not have a page number. If you include a dedication, use regular paragraph formatting as shown here (not centered, italicized, or otherwise formatted). This page is already correctly formatted, so you can simply replace the sample text with your own. The Dedication heading does not appear in the table of contents. If you do not include any text on this page, delete it completely.

The Dedication page is a wonderful opportunity for you to pay special tribute to those individuals or organizations that provided you with encouragement, special assistance, or inspiration throughout your academic career.

Acknowledgments

As with the Dedication page, the Acknowledgments page is optional. It is a nice place to thank the faculty, friends, and family members who have helped you reach this point in your academic career. Some people make note of their spiritual beliefs and thank their Higher Power for helping to make their dreams possible.

Generally an acknowledgment page is no more than one page in length and consists of a brief description of how you were shown support by the people you acknowledge. Although it is not mandatory, it is good practice to thank anyone who gave you permission to use any copyrighted materials.

It is not necessary to include every single person or entity that helped you complete your dissertation. Usually, just the major players are acknowledged. Those who contributed in a minor way can be acknowledged in a general statement. For example, one could write, “I am forever grateful to all those at whatever organization and to everyone else I did not mention, but contributed in some fashion to the successful completion of this dissertation.”

This page is already correctly formatted, so you can simply replace this text with your own. If you include an Acknowledgments page, there is no page number, and the heading does not appear in the

Table of Contents

. If you do not include Acknowledgments, delete the heading and text, being careful to not delete the section break below this text.

Table of Contents

List of Tables

iv

List of Figures

v

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

1

Background of the Study

1

Problem Statement

1

Purpose of the Study

2

Research Questions

2

Theoretical Foundation

2

Conceptual Framework

3

Nature of the Study

3

Definitions

4

Assumptions

4

Scope and Delimitations

4

Limitations

5

Significance of the Study

5

Significance to Practice

5

Significance to Theory

5

Significance to Social Change

6

Summary and Transition

6

Chapter 2: Literature Review

7

Literature Search Strategy

7

Theoretical Foundation

7

Conceptual Framework

8

Literature Review

8

Summary and Conclusions

9

Chapter 3: Research Method

10

Research Design and Rationale

10

Role of the Researcher

10

Methodology

10

Participant Selection Logic

11

Instrumentation

11

Pilot Study

12

Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection

13

Data Analysis Plan

13

Issues of Trustworthiness

14

Credibility

14

Transferability

14

Dependability

14

Confirmability

14

Ethical Procedures

14

Summary

15

Chapter 4: Results

16

Pilot Study

16

Research Setting

16

Demographics

16

Data Collection

16

Data Analysis

17

Evidence of Trustworthiness

17

Credibility

17

Transferability

17

Dependability

17

Confirmability

17

Study Results

18

Summary

20

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations

21

Interpretation of Findings

21

Limitations of the Study

21

Recommendations

21

Implications

21

Conclusions

22

References

23

Appendix A: Title of Appendix

25

The Table of Contents (TOC) above must be updated to reflect the headings and pagination in your own document. First, ensure that you have applied the appropriate Styles tags to all APA Level 0, 1, and 2 headings. To update the TOC, right click anywhere in the Table of Contents, select Update field, then select Update entire table or Update page numbers only, and click OK. This should populate the TOC with all headings tagged as APA Level 0, 1, and 2 within your document.

List of Tables
Table 1
.
Sample Table Title

18

Table 2
.
Another Sample Table Title

19

The List of Tables above must be updated to reflect any tables in your document. If you do not have any tables, delete this page (including the page break at the end of the page).
To update the above List of Tables, you must ensure that you have used the Insert Caption method to label your tables, following the instructions at the end of the Instructions for Using the PhD Management Annotated Dissertation Template document. Once you have done this, to update the List of Tables, right click anywhere in the list, select Update Field, then select Update entire table or Update page numbers only, and click OK. This will populate the List of Tables with your table numbers and titles.
If you follow this method, the table number and title will come in without a period between them, and there will be a mix of bold, italic, and plain font. Clean up the List of Tables manually by selecting all of the text and removing bolding and italics, then enter a period after each table number and one character space before the table title, as shown in the model in the template.

List of Figures
Figure 1
.
Sample Figure Title

19

Figure 2
.
Another Sample Figure Title

20

The List of Figures must be updated to reflect any figures in your document. If you do not have any figures, delete this page, but be careful not to delete the Section Break at the end of the page, as doing so will disrupt the pagination of the template.
To update the above List of Figures, you must ensure that you have used the Insert Caption method to label your figures, following the instructions at the end of the Instructions for Using the PhD Management Annotated Templates document. Once you have done this, to update the List of Figures, right click anywhere in the list, select Update Field, then select Update entire table or Update page numbers only, and click OK. This will populate the List of Figures with your figure numbers and titles.
If you follow this method, the figure number and title will come in without a period between them, and there will be a mix of bold, italic, and plain font. Clean up the List of Figures manually by selecting all of the text and removing bolding and italics, then enter a period after each figure number and one character space before the figure title, as shown in the model in the template.

v

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
[Describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be conducted, and the potential social implications of the study. Preview the major sections of the chapter. Notes: This introductory material should be about a page in length.
Each of the following sections contains a suggested page length; however, the length of each section should be determined by sufficiency and completeness.]
Background of the Study
[Briefly, summarize research literature related to the scope of the study topic. Describe a gap in knowledge in the discipline that the study will address. End the section on why the study is needed. Note: This section should be between two and four pages in length.]
Problem Statement
[State the research problem. Provide evidence of consensus that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the discipline. Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings, focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years. Address a meaningful gap in the current research literature. Notes: The problem statement should meet the Walden Litmus test; that is, it must be justified, grounded in the literature, original, and amenable to scientific study. See the Walden Center for Research Quality for more information on the Litmus Test. In addition to the four elements in the Litmus Test, the PhD in Management adds a fifth element: connects with positive social change. Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good. Show how your dissertation will connect with positive social change.
One approach is to include both the general problem statement, which presents a broad concept of the problem, and the specific problem statement, which presents the focus of the study. Key words such as “the problem is . . .” are helpful to the reader. This section should be concisely written and be about a half a page in length.]
Purpose of the Study
[Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study and contains (a) the research paradigm, (b) the intent of the study (such as describe, compare, explore, develop), and (c) the concept/phenomenon of interest. Notes: see Creswell’s Research Design book, Chapter 6, for scripts on writing Purpose Statements. This section should be concisely written and be about a half a page in length.]
Research Questions
[State the research question(s). Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Theoretical Foundation
[Studies must include either a theoretical foundation or a conceptual framework section; studies may include both or just one. If there is only a Theoretical Foundation section, then delete the Conceptual Framework section heading/content and vice versa.
Identify the theory or theories and provide the origin or source. State concisely the major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses with a reference to more detailed explanation in Chapter 2. Explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Conceptual Framework
[Identify and define the concept/phenomenon that grounds the study. Describe concisely the conceptual framework (for qualitative studies, the distinctive ideas; for quantitative studies, a description of the body of research that supports the need for the study) as derived from the literature, with reference to a more detailed analysis in Chapter 2. State the logical connections among key elements of the framework with a reference to a more thorough explanation in Chapter 2. State how the framework relates to the study approach and key research questions as well as instrument development and data analysis where appropriate. Note: A framework is a container for ideas, information, and such. A theory is a body of knowledge that is explanatory and predictive. For example, Porter’s value chain is a framework, while Ricardo’s comparative advantage is a theory. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Nature of the Study
[Provide a concise rationale for selection of the design/tradition. Briefly describe the key concept and/or phenomenon being investigated. Briefly summarize the methodology (from whom and how data are collected and how data will be analyzed). Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Definitions
[Provide concise definitions of key concepts or constructs. Define terms used in the study that have multiple meanings (e.g., socioeconomic status, educator, health service professional). Do not include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary. Include citations that identify support in the professional literature for the definition or operational definition. Notes: The term should be indented the same as a paragraph indent, italicized, and terminated with a colon, with the definition itself in plain type, sourced, and listed alphabetically. This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Assumptions
[Clarify aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be demonstrated to be true. Include only those assumptions that are critical to the meaningfulness of the study. Describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the context of the study. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]
Scope and Delimitations
[Describe specific aspects of the research problem that are addressed in the study and why the specific focus was chosen. Define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations included and excluded and theories/conceptual frameworks most related to the area of study that were not investigated. Address potential transferability. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]
Limitations

[Describe limitations of the study related to design and/or methodological weaknesses (including issues related to limitations of transferability and dependability). Describe any biases that could influence study outcomes and how they are addressed. Describe reasonable measures to address limitations. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]
Significance of the Study
[The Significance of the Study is described in terms of (a) how this study will/may fill a gap in the literature, (b) professional application, and (c) positive social change (e.g., improvement of human or social conditions by promoting the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, or societies). Be certain to address and include the phrase positive social change in this section. Note: This section, including the three subsections, should be between three to five pages in length.]
Significance to Practice
[Identify potential contributions of the study that advance practice and/or policy (as applicable).]
Significance to Theory
[Identify potential contributions of the study that advance knowledge in the discipline. This is an elaboration of what the problem addresses.]
Significance to Social Change
[Describe potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the scope of the study.]
Summary and Transition
[Summarize main points of the chapter. Provide a transition to Chapter 2. Note: This section should be around a page.]

Chapter 2: Literature Review
[Restate the problem and the purpose. Provide a concise synopsis of the current literature that establishes the relevance of the problem. Preview major sections of the chapter. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Literature Search Strategy
[List accessed library databases and search engines used. List (and italicize) key search terms and combinations of search terms (with more detailed search terms located in an appendix if appropriate). Describe the iterative search process by explaining what terms were used in what database to identify germane scholarship. In cases where there is little current research, and few (if any) dissertations and/or conference proceedings, describe how this was handled. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Theoretical Foundation
[Include only the Theoretical Foundation and/or the Conceptual Framework here as provided in Chapter 1. Either one or both may be presented, depending on what was presented in Chapter 1.
Name the theory or theories. Provide origin or source of the theory. Describe major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses, including delineation of any assumptions appropriate to the application of the theory. Provide a literature- and research-based analysis of how the theory has been applied previously in ways similar to the current study. Provide the rationale for the choice of this theory. Describe how and why the selected theory relates to the present study and how the research questions relate to, challenge, or build upon existing theory. Notes: Either the theoretical foundation or the conceptual framework may be provided; both are not required but may be presented. This section should be between three and six pages in length.]
Conceptual Framework
[Identify and define the concept/phenomenon. Synthesize primary writings by key theorists, philosophers, and/or seminal researchers related to the concept or phenomenon. Provide key statements and definitions inherent in the framework. Describe how the concept or phenomenon has been applied and articulated in previous research and how the current study benefits from this framework. Notes: Either the theoretical foundation or the conceptual framework may be provided; both are not required but may be presented. This section should be between three and six pages.]
Literature Review
[Provide an exhaustive review of current literature that includes the following information regarding the key concepts of the study.
Describe studies related to the constructs of interest and chosen methodology and methods that are consistent with the scope of the study. Describe ways researchers in the discipline have approached the problem and the strengths and weakness inherent in their approaches. Justify from the literature the rationale for selection of the concepts. Review and synthesize studies related to the key concepts and/or phenomena under investigation to produce a description of what is known about them, what is controversial, and what remains to be studied. Review and synthesize studies related to the research questions and why the approach selected is meaningful. Note: This section should be between 30 and 50 pages in length.]
Summary and Conclusions
[Concisely summarize major themes in the literature. Summarize what is known as well as what is not known in the discipline related to the topic of study. Describe how the present study fills at least one of the gaps in the literature and will extend knowledge in the discipline. Provide transitional material to connect the gap in the literature to the methods described in Chapter 3. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]

Chapter 3: Research Method
[Restate the study purpose as described in Chapter 1. Preview the major sections of the chapter. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Research Design and Rationale
[Restate research questions exactly as written in Chapter 1. State and define central concept(s)/phenomenon(a) of the study. Identify the research tradition (e.g., qualitative and the selected design such as narrative research, case study, phenomenology, ethnography, or grounded theory). Provide a rationale for the chosen tradition. Explain why other possible choices would be less effective. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]
Role of the Researcher
[Define and explain your role as observer, participant, or observer-participant. Reveal any personal and professional relationships you, as the researcher, may have with participants, with emphasis on supervisory or instructor relationships involving positions of power with the participants. State how any researcher biases and/or power relationships are or will be managed. Describe other ethical issues as applicable (these could include doing a study within one’s own work environment, conflict of interest or power differentials, and justification for use of incentives) and the plan for addressing these issues. Note: This section should one or two pages in length.]
Methodology
[Needs to be described in sufficient depth so that other researchers can replicate the study.]
Participant Selection Logic
[Identify the population (if appropriate). Identify and justify the sampling strategy. State the criterion/a on which participant selection is based. Establish how participants are known to meet the criterion/a. State the number of participants/cases and the rationale for that number. Explain specific procedures for how participants will be identified, contacted, and recruited. Describe the relationship between saturation and sample size. Notes: Qualitative phenomenological studies should have a sample size of 20 participants or until saturation occurs. Sample sizes for other qualitative studies may vary. For example a case study may collect data from appropriate participants with other data coming from observations, or other collected data sets. This section should be two or three pages in length.]
Instrumentation
[Identify each data collection instrument and source (e.g., observation sheet, interview protocol, focus group protocol, videotape, audiotape, artifacts, archived data, and other kinds of data collection instruments). Identify the source for each data collection instrument (i.e., published or researcher produced). If historical or legal documents are used as a source of data, demonstrate the reputability of the sources, and justify why they represent the best source of data. Establish sufficiency of data collection instruments to answer research questions.]
[For published data collection instruments, add the following: Who developed the instrument and what is the date of publication? Where and with which participant group has it been used previously? How appropriate is it for current study (i.e., context and cultural specificity of protocols/instrumentation) and whether modifications will be or were needed? Describe how content validity will be or was established. Address any context- and culture-specific issues specific to the population while developing the instrument specific to the population. Note: If the instrument was researcher developed, do not respond to these questions.]
[For researcher-developed instruments, add the following: Basis for instrument development (i.e., literature sources or other bases, such as a pilot study). Describe how content validity will be/was established. Establish sufficiency of data collection instruments to answer the research questions. Notes: If the instrument was published by another researcher, do not respond to these questions. This section may be between three and five pages in length.]
Pilot Study
[Do not include this section if a pilot study will not be done. However, pilot studies are frequently done with qualitative studies to test researcher-developed instruments, protocols, and instructions.]
[Include all procedures for recruitment, participation, and data collection associated with the pilot study and the main study. Describe the relationship of the pilot study to the main study (e.g., what is the purpose of the pilot study?). Include the IRB approval number in the completed dissertation. Notes: This section may not be appropriate for all studies but if provided should be between one and two pages in length. Many of the techniques used in the primary study and the pilot study may be the same.]
Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection
[For each data collection instrument and research question, provide details of data collection.
· From where will data be collected?
· Who will collect the data?
· Frequency of data collection events.
· Duration of data collection events.
· How data will be recorded?
· Follow-up plan if recruitment results in too few participants.
· Explain how participants exit the study (e.g., debriefing procedures).
· Describe any follow-up procedures such as requirements to return for follow-up interviews.
Note: This section should be between two and six pages in length.]
Data Analysis Plan
[For each type of data collected, identify:
· Connection of data to a specific research question.
· Type of and procedure for coding.
· Any software used for analysis.
· Manner of treatment of discrepant cases.
Note: This section should be between three and six pages in length.]
Issues of Trustworthiness
Credibility
[Credibility (internal validity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish credibility, such as triangulation, prolonged contact, member checks, saturation, reflexivity, and peer review. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Transferability
[Transferability (external validity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish transferability, such as thick description and variation in participant selection. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Dependability
[Dependability (the qualitative counterpart to reliability): Describe appropriate strategies to establish dependability, such as audit trails and triangulation. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Confirmability
[Confirmability (the qualitative counterpart to objectivity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish confirmability, such as reflexivity. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Ethical Procedures
[Agreements to gain access to participants or data. Include actual documents in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application. Describe the treatment of human participants including the following (include actual documents in the IRB application):
· institutional permissions, including IRB approvals that are needed (for the proposal) or were obtained (for the completed dissertation, include relevant IRB approval numbers)
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Other ethical issues as applicable: These issues could include doing a study within one’s own work environment, conflict of interest or power differentials, and justification for use of incentives. Note: This section should be between one and two pages in length.]
Summary
[Summarize the main points in the chapter. Provide a transition statement to Chapter 4. Note: This section should about a page in length.]
Chapter 4: Results
[Review briefly the purpose and research questions. Preview the organization of the chapter. Note: This section should be about a page in length.]
Pilot Study
[If provided, describe the pilot study. Report any impact the pilot study had on the main study (e.g., changes in instrumentation and/or data analysis strategies). Note: This section should be about a page in length.]
Research Setting
[Describe any personal or organizational conditions that influenced participants or their experience at the time of study that may influence interpretation of the study results (e.g., changes in personnel, budget cuts, and other trauma). Note: This section should be about a page in length.]
Demographics
[Present participant demographics and characteristics relevant to the study. Note: This section should be about a page in length.]
Data Collection
[State the number of participants from whom each type of data was collected. Describe location, frequency, and duration of data collection for each data collection instrument. Describe how the data were recorded. Present any variations in data collection from the plan presented in Chapter 3. Present any unusual circumstances encountered in data collection. Note: This section should be between two and three pages in length.]
Data Analysis
[Report process used to move inductively from coded units to larger representations including categories and themes. Describe the specific codes, categories, and themes that emerged from the data using participant quotations as needed to emphasize their importance Describe qualities of discrepant cases and how they were factored into the analysis. Note: This section should be between three and six pages in length.]
Evidence of Trustworthiness
Credibility
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Transferability
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Dependability
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Confirmability
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Study Results
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Note. From “Attitudes Toward Dissertation Editors,” by W. Student, 2020, Journal of Academic Optimism, 98, p. 11 (
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Summary
[Summarize answers to research questions. Provide a transition to Chapter 5. Note: This section should be about a page in length.]

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations
[Concisely reiterate the purpose and nature of the study and why it was conducted. Concisely summarize key findings. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]
Interpretation of Findings
[Describe in what ways findings confirm, disconfirm, or extend knowledge in the discipline by comparing them with what has been found in the peer-reviewed literature described in Chapter 2. Ensure interpretations do not exceed the data, findings, and scope. Note: This section should be between four and eight pages in length.]
Limitations of the Study
[Describe the limitations to trustworthiness that arose from execution of the study. These should be used to revise what was written in Chapter 1 for the proposal. Note: This section should be about a page in length.]
Recommendations
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Implications
[Positive social change: (a) Describe the potential impact for positive social change at the appropriate level (individual, family, organizational, and societal/policy); and (b) ensure implications for social change do not exceed the study boundaries. Express as tangible improvements. Describe methodological, theoretical, and/or empirical implications, as appropriate. Describe recommendations for practice, as appropriate. Note: This section should be between four and six pages in length.]
Conclusions

[Provide a strong take-home message that captures the key essence of the study. Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]

References
Examples of references follow. Replace with your own references, which should come from four possible sources: peer reviewed journals, some books, some dissertations, and some government or professional organizational websites.
Suggest up to 100 to 150 references with 80% to 85% being peer-reviewed journal articles published within 3 to 5 years of the expected graduation date. References should be primarily electronic journal articles with perhaps a few seminal articles, professional books, dissertations, or professional/government websites.]
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Sample Entries

Journal article with DOI (even if accessed in print form)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (1994). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx(x), xxx–xxx. https://doi.org/xxxxxx . . .

Nonperiodical (authored book with a DOI)
Author, A. A. (1994). Title of work. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx . . .
Chapter 10 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, seventh edition, includes numerous examples of reference list entries. For more information on references in APA Style, consult the APA website or the Walden Doctoral Capstone Form and Style page on APA References
.

Appendix A: Title of Appendix
[Insert appendix content here. Appendices are ordered with letters (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) rather than numbers. If there is only one appendix in your document, label it Appendix (rather than Appendix A), per APA rules.
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Notes on Style and Quality (Review and delete all text in purple)

The following information applies to your manuscript as a whole and is considered quality indicators regarding writing style and composition.

Writing Style and Composition

The dissertation is written in scholarly language (i.e., accurate, balanced, objective, tentative).

The writing is clear, precise, and avoids redundancy. Statements are specific and topical sentences are established for paragraphs. The flow of words is smooth and comprehensible. Bridges are established between ideas.

Organization and Form

The proposal/dissertation is logically and comprehensively organized, using subheadings where appropriate, has a professional, scholarly appearance, is written with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling, includes citations for the following: direct quotations, paraphrasing, facts, and references to research studies. All in-text citations are found in the reference list.

The MEAL plan, or Main idea, Evidence, Argument / Analysis, and Lead-out of this paragraph and / Link to the next paragraph, is a good suggestion for writing paragraphs in academic papers. See the
Walden University Writing Center
for additional information on the MEAL plan.

For guidance on APA Style, visit the Doctoral Capstone Form and Style website and download the APA 7
Form and Style Review Checklist
. Access other
APA style
information on the APA pages of the website.

Congratulations! This is the end of your dissertation! Remember to delete this text from your document!

(Template updated November 2020)

20

An Examination of Police Brutality and Its Impact on Victims’ Families

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

When cops actively mistreat civilians, either verbally or physically, this is referred to as police brutality. Excessive force is employed to intimidate others, either physically or psychologically. This form of savagery has swiftly expanded over the world and has always been featured in the press. It involves sexual assault by police, unlawful arrests, racial bias, police corruption, and oppression. Excessive force is frequently used against vulnerable community groups such as the elderly, the poor, and the disabled. The major issue with police brutality is that the officers who are meant to protect citizens are the ones who kill the most of them. They eventually got away with no consequences. A conclusion will be reached based on the study of cases of police brutality, which will either lead to a solution or even more condemnation.

Police officers are viewed as law enforcers responsible with maintaining society’s law and order. Despite the dangers that police officers encounter on the job, they occasionally opt to use unreasonable force even when the circumstances do not permit it. The police seize the suspects, violently pat them down, and hit them with a button, force them against a wall, or even shoot them without being armed, which is known as police brutality (Charney and Robertson, 2013). The topic of police brutality is frequently overlooked, with most people dismissing police brutality complaints as fabrications since, in the vast majority of cases, the officers involved are always shielded by their local police agencies (William, 2015). The goal of the study is to show how police brutality is a major problem that politicians must address. Although the vast majority of police officers do their best to keep the public safe, there are times when cops employ excessive force, resulting in cruelty for the victims.

According to figures from the Bureau of Justice, police are responsible for around 5,000 fatalities worldwide. Although the majority of these incidents occurred in impoverished countries, police brutality is a global issue that impacts even industrialized countries (Haider, 2014). Other police brutality events have been recorded in Israel, Venezuela, Pakistan, and Canada, in addition to the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. According to available statistics, cops frequently use excessive force against criminals and even innocent people. The most depressing part is that the majority of cops found guilty of cruelty received just minor disciplinary actions. In South Africa, for example, police brutality charges increased by 300 percent in 2012, yet only 1% of those allegations resulted in the officer being prosecuted; the rest were dismissed as unsubstantiated, and so could not be prosecuted in law courts (Haider, 2014).

Minority populations are the most vulnerable to police brutality. Minorities, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and Mexican nationals, are the most frequently targeted by the ruthless police force. According to a Harvard University report, police violence is more likely among African-Americans and Hispanics than among other races. Furthermore, the data shows that police violence towards African-Americans is not a new problem, but has existed for a long time (Nodjimbadem, 2017). According to the report, four out of every five males who were victims of police violence were from minority ethnicities. It is apparent that police officers have decided to blatantly enforce the present state of obvious prejudice rather than serve and protect the people as the police code of conduct requires. Another research found parallels between the contemporary state of police encounters with black people and unresolved historical injustices, albeit the reasoning lacks sufficient evidence to sustain the assertion (William, 2015). Furthermore, the same study discovered that the brutality rates were the same whether police encounters with the suspect took place in a high- or low-crime area. In fact, while dealing with African-American and Hispanic criminals, 50% of police officers are more inclined to use force than when dealing with white suspects (William, 2015).

Some argue that the dominant group’s long-held conviction in superiority has contributed to the devaluation of Black life, particularly in the United States (particularly among males), and so serves as a justification for law enforcement activities (Embrick, 2015). If entrenched systemic racism or the idea in White supremacy are not the root causes of the tumultuous interaction between police officers and Black males, more research is needed. When confronting Black guys, police officers appeared to use more excessive force than when confronting other groups. To gain knowledge and understanding of Black males’ perception excessive and confrontational interactions with law enforcement officials, it is necessary to investigate not only historical underpinnings, but also White Privilege, police training procedures, the mental state of law enforcement officials during points of contact, and physiological variables that may impact the behaviors of law enforcers during a scenario in which Black males are viewed as violent threats.

Social Change Implication

Since the victims’ families are also impacted by police brutality, it has a detrimental impact on the victims themselves. Victims of police brutality suffer from mental health concerns and, in some cases, death, which has an impact on their relatives (Brunson & Wade, 2019). Miller and Vittrup (2020) estimate that since 2015, police have killed over 1,000 individuals yearly, according to The Mapping Police Violence Project.

There is also a necessity investigate on some of the causes of police brutality and determine whether or not it was truly harsh. The decision to use police violence sprang from the necessity to find a way to cope with the criminal status of black people seeking retribution after enslavement. To deal with the situation, the only option was to make them flee in terror while also assisting them, or to arrest the majority of them. To label the link between police brutality and racism as racism is debatable, especially given that blacks may have a high crime rate, resulting in many of them being murdered or imprisoned.

Some of the police killings that have been labeled as horrific occurred during raids on criminals. The debate centers on police statements that they kill because they believe their lives are in danger. Due to a lack of proof, several courts have ruled in favor of police officers. However, the police who are expected to undertake investigations may be hampered by the lack of such evidence. It’s fascinating to have evidence that connects cruelty to racial inequalities. To do so, you’ll need to consider both sides of the argument.

Unfortunately, when a criminal accuses the police of cruelty, they risk misusing their authority. Such instances will aid in identifying when a police officer is on the approach of committing outright police brutality. However, some reported occurrences are overstated, focusing on cops who are labeled as cruel without taking into account their circumstances. Cruelty, on the other hand, has become all too simple to criticize and accuse at times. When someone fights arrest, for example, they may be injured in the process. Police officers are in a perfect position to make split-second choices when confronted with a criminal wielding a weapon. In such cases, the departments involved fail to handle the post-research in a manner that results in appropriate transparency. Even when reasonable force is used, they may fail to file the required charges. The general public is furious with the cops (Wihbey, & Kille, 2016).

When there was an increase in migration to the United States, so did police violence. The mix of people led in a great deal of prejudice and hate crimes (Taylor, 2021). There existed a barrier between the police, who were the law enforcers, and the general public. In well-known cities, police violence resulted in cover-ups and apathy. The 1969 episode known as “the massacre of the black panther,” in which a police crackdown led to the deaths of several individuals, is a case in point. African American organizations were blamed for promoting racial violence.

There were reports of harsh policing that went unpunished. This means that even though the bulk of the events involved white cops and black defendants, the police engaged were never held responsible for their actions. Following any act of cruelty, the public is always quite active in raising awareness; on occasion, they protest and even inflict destruction. As a result, they are ignored, and officers are never given an equivalent or acceptable sentence. This categorizes such brutality as a failure of the judicial system rather than a criminal crime The police officer has been known to turn off cameras during interactions. At such moments, they shatter the faith that has been placed in them. It is not difficult to discern because there is no sudden conflict in this circumstance. Journalists have uncovered several instances of police brutality. Police reporters have played an important role in raising public awareness of the issue. There are no laws prohibiting police aggression, and officers’ mental problems are rarely treated.

Gaps in Literature

There has been little study done to see how police violence impacts the victims’ family and how they are affected. According to Miller and Vittrup research, persons who are directly affected by police brutality die or suffer bodily and mental harm. According to Miller and Vittrup, high-profile acts of police aggression have a profound impact on communities. It may be terrible for family members and friends to witness their loved one being harmed or killed by the police under unexpected and inexplicable circumstances (Miller & Vittrup, 2020).

A number of studies have been published that focus on the outcomes of police brutality research. The researches focused on citizen complaints against police (Ariel et.al, 2017, White et.al, 2017, Braga et.al, 2017), police officers use of force (Jennings et.al, 2017, Henstock & Ariel, 2017) officer decisions to apprehend or issue citation (Headley et.al, 2017, Braga et.al, 2017) and police officer attitudes towards body wearable cameras. The results of these investigations were varied, with some claiming that body worn cameras reduced the use of force in specific experiments. However, officers indicate that cameras do not improve transparency, accountability, reduce public complaints, or reduce officer use of force, leading to an increase in incidences of police brutality, according to Headley et al, (2017). For example, the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the most recent incident. The incident triggered “Black Lives Matter” protests throughout the world, with the goal of addressing concerns of police brutality.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to look at how police violence affects victims’ families. Its goal is to establish a link between police brutality and the economic, psychological, and emotional consequences for victims’ families (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The study will look into how families of victims of police violence dealt with seeing their loved ones hurt or murdered by cops. The study will add to the corpus of knowledge about the impact of police violence on victims’ families’ mental, social, psychological, and emotional well-being. Police Brutality is unmistakably defined as the use of extreme physical violence. However, as others have pointed out, cruelty extends beyond physical violence. The victims’ family are subjected to emotional and sexual abuse, as well as verbal attack and psychological intimidation.

General Objective

Generally, the study examines policy brutality and its effects on victims’ families.

Specific Objectives

i) To investigate the causes of police brutality especially for minority communities

ii) To determine the effect of police brutality on victim’s families

iii) To assess alternative nonviolent mechanisms that the law enforcement can adopt to minimize the effects of police brutality to minority groups.

Research Questions

i) What drives police to use excessive force?

ii) How has the family experience impacted their perception of the police?

iii) How does race play a critical role in police brutality?

iv) Which alternative nonviolent mechanism can be adopted by police to minimize the effects of police brutality to families in different communities?

Relevance of the Study

The findings of this research fill a vacuum in the current literature on police brutality by concentrating on the impact on victims’ families rather than racial profiling, which has been the subject of several earlier studies. The study will augment current but limited studies on the consequences of police violence on victims’ relatives. There is already a body of knowledge about the difficulties that impact the families of victims of police brutality, and my study wants to add to it. My research will give criminal justice practitioners with information on how police violence impacts victims’ relatives and the community. In study studies, victims of police abuse have been frequently distracted, labeled, and even harmed (Najdowski, Bottoms, & Goff, 2015).

The significance of this research aligns with the problem statement because of the alarming rate with which incidents of police brutality continue to increase poses a great population health risk, and stakeholders in the criminal justice system must be made aware of its dangers so that they can work on ways to reduce it and punish perpetrators (Miller & Vittrup, 2020). The findings of this research can be used to present evidence of how police brutality is affecting families and offer insight to the society on the proper measures that are put in place to protect people from police violence.

The main issue with police brutality is that the officers who are meant to protect people are the ones who murder the majority of them! Finally, they got away with no repercussions. Police brutality is directed towards specific races. Hudson’s experience in St. Louis was that of a gangster in an area where officers referred to everyone of color as a thug. Because of their color, even bystanders became victims (Hudson, 2014). Cops, on the other hand, were cursed at first sight and are prone to disappointment. Cops may respond to minor infractions while tracing a black lady and other brown males. Others, however, do not fit into this category and do not agree of how the other corrupt officials behave themselves. Their ruthlessness is fueled by the knowledge that if they are captured, their friends would be the ones to question them.

There are a substantial number of police personnel that would purposefully violate human rights leading to unnecessary arrests (Hudson, 2014). Some police officers do not handle mental health issues effectively. They end up physically breaking such persons in order to transfer them to a hospital for treatment. The racial split reveals statistical inequalities. According to research conducted in Cincinnati, the majority of policemen implicated in allegations of police violence were white (Suresh, 2014). As a result of these studies, a perception has emerged that white male cops are the harshest, based on the number of black males killed by police officers. Black cops also carry a harsh anti-black racial prejudice which shows how the law enforcement does not prejudice against any race when it comes to the use of excessive force.

Background

Many prosecutions involving cops and black women have ended in mistrials (Wihbey & Kille, 2016). Police work has been proposed as a solution to such problems, but given the complexity of law enforcement tasks, it is unlikely to succeed. Only a few occasions have police officers used fatal force in moments of extreme stress. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics study, police violence was the main cause of death in police detention cells. Police training has been blamed for the emergence of police violence. According to a Philadelphia report, there were 394 instances of excessive police force. This research article revealed a need in policy training on deadly force policy.

Records of the number of police officers murdered in shootings each year are not always published which is debatable truth relating to the number of individuals who die because of police brutality.. As a result, analyzing one side of these incidents is unfair, because police officers are also assaulted. Despite the fact that the number of persons murdered in police shootings is unknown, Harden claims that at least five black males are killed every month while they are unarmed (Harden, 2017). The study concludes that police violence against black people is on the rise.

Another flaw that contributes to law enforcement officials engaging in violence is their tendency to approach unavoidable disputes with a sense of superiority. They use the power of their weapons and believe that they are representing the state. The feelings of being professionals with an army at their disposal cause them to act erratically. The truth is that their firearms are liabilities, and they must protect them from suspicion. Those who are disadvantaged by intervening in new terrain situations, within someone’s area, and spectators who are not always on their side. The majority of the scenarios are dangerous; they have a fear of impending danger in numerous settings (David, 2014). Ethnic minorities, who have been victims of police brutality, either directly or indirectly, may have nightmares, flashbacks, or attempt to avoid interaction with police officers (running from police, etc.). They may also maintain a psychological state of high surveillance, on shield against the potential of abuse at the hands of law enforcement (Bryant-Davis et.al, 2017).

Police brutality is a matter of those in power vs. those who need their peace, and it is a problem that many people face on a daily basis. Surprisingly, just around half of all people are impacted by the harshness, according to study. The majority of the allegations in these cases are racially motivated. It originated when persons who claimed to be Democrats took on the responsibility of attempting to improve the lives of others via the use of existing governmental welfare programs. They employed the assisting programs they launched in their efforts to help the underprivileged. Surprisingly, issues of racism, poverty, and criminality grew throughout the welfare system, pushing such programs to close. However, statistics show that black individuals have the largest percentage of criminals. Police officers under the authority of their governments interfered to bring the situation under control, but their actions resulted in the deaths of black people. Currently, incidences of police violence are rare, with only a handful perhaps going unnoticed by the public.

Individuals who witness police brutality and other forms of police violence suffer mental health and well-being consequences. In this context, victimization is defined as the result of a person or institution’s purposeful activity to oppress or injure another. According to studies, there is a link between police victimization and depression or other psychological problems among the family of the victims. Families of police brutality victims go through a lot of pain that is often overlooked and misunderstood. When a first incident of police brutality occurs, families keep growing politically. The families have been expecting justice from the beginning. The incidents, however, continue, and most family members and societies respond in a way that they believe would get their point through. Attempts to process the injustice cause anguish and terror, which can exhaust the body’s stress response system.

According to Miller and Brigitte’s (2020) research, African Americans in the United States have historically faced innumerable types of tyranny and repression stemming from slavery. The expanding civilization is concentrating its efforts on eliminating racial differences and moving toward a post-racial society which promotes equality. Despite these attempts, police enforcement continues to use discriminatory methods such as violence. Individuals in African American communities face physical, social, and emotional issues as a result of the brutality. Victims of police violence are more likely than any other group to be profiled, incriminated, unfairly committed, brutally punished, and imprisoned for crimes (Miller and Brigitte, 2020). Families of the victims are ostracized in the community as a consequence of the injustice directed towards the minority population, and they are mentally tortured as a result of being separated from their loved ones and live in terror of being the next victims.

Police brutality has an impact on public health because it reduces life expectancy, which is a key indication of population health. It causes death, lowers life expectancy, and raises mortality rates in some groups. According to Alang et al., (2017), family of victims who live in minority groups are more likely to be targeted, which increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. As a result of their harsh treatment, the families’ health has deteriorated. One of the most difficult things of having a loved one slain by police is how powerless the families become in the eyes of those in positions of authority. At best, the minority group is an annoyance; at worst, they are a threat. Even the most fundamental information is withheld from them. Consider this: families are forced to become full-time advocates, battling for the bare minimum of human decency, during the most terrible, sad, and awful period of their life. Families grieve because they are unable to replace the void left by their loved ones’ deaths. Furthermore, the culprits may walk free, leaving families to contend with misleading narratives about their loved ones. They are subjected to psychological anguish as a result of the threats of violence they face as a result of their advocacy.

However, there are aspects of the anguish of witnessing a Black person being victimized or killed by a police officer that most non-Black people are unaware of, beginning with the historical significance of these acts and the communal grief they elicit. The systematic oppression and depreciation of individual lives is exemplified by police killings of Black people. The victims were killed because they were perceived as a danger. They perish because law enforcement authorities do not place a high value on their lives at the time. So, it’s the stress of losing someone who resembles a family member and what that implies for the society, the stress of understanding that loss is rooted in the color of a person’s skin, as a second-class citizen as a Black person or an indigenous person.

Evidence shows that police shootings of people have long-reaching consequences that affect communities across the country, well beyond the relatives and social circles of those who knew the person who died. The constant fear of police brutality can have a profound psychological impact on those who are most sensitive to it, such as those who are most likely to be hurt, murdered, or traumatized at the hands of the cops. Because of unfavorable tales about the victims, their relatives are experiencing stress and anticipation. The tension has grown so persistent that it is invisible as part of the day-to-day lives of populations who are preferentially policed (Alang et al., 2017). The unpredictability of it, [not knowing] when it will begin and when it will cease, makes a stressor incredibly persistent and really unpleasant, and substantially more connected with mental health. It’s that unpredictability combined with a constant stressor that causes police violence to have such a negative influence on mental health.

Police brutality, like all kinds and threats of violence, causes stress, which has a variety of health consequences. Evidence shows that the constant stress of looming danger, the real life experience, and the detrimental aftermath of police brutality in all of its forms (physical, emotional, verbal) on a personal (firsthand or secondhand) and societal level can have damaging consequences on people’s mental and physical health. These are stressful situations that wear down the physiological systems of people of color, increasing the allostatic load and causing weathering (Alang et al., 2017). Psychological interpersonal trauma occurs when a person’s life or physical integrity is threatened, and the experience overwhelms the person’s ability to cope by causing emotions of hopelessness or acute dread (Bryant Davis et al, 2017).

Victims of police brutality are more likely to engage in urban gun crime. Police brutality, according to Brunson and Wade (2019), affects African-Americans’ collective opinion that police are incapable of, or uncaring about, efficiently tackling violence in disadvantaged communities of color while seemingly always managing to safeguard the courageous majority. As a result, victims’ relatives obtain firearms as part of their participation in condemning police wrongdoings under the guise of self-defense. As a result, police brutality discriminates against African-American communities, increasing the desire for individuals to participate in gun violence, particularly in metropolitan regions where the majority of crimes occur.

Theoretical Framework

The process of questioning the role of racism and race in society is known as critical race theory. The critical race theory criticizes how institutionalized racism and socially constructed of race perpetuate a racial status system that places people of color at the bottom of the food chain. According to critical race theory, racism is not a thing of the past (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The idea recognizes that the legacies of discrimination, slavery, and the hardship of second-class citizenship on African Americans and other people of color remains in the social fabric of the United States.

The critical race theory addresses the topic of police brutality and its consequences for victims’ families, bearing in mind that race is a socially created issue rather than a biological one. Racism is an issue, according to critical race theory, that is institutionalized in legislation and incorporated in structural and governmental policies. As a result, entrenched racism and some governmental policies are to blame for disproportionately high incidence of police violence against African Americans.

The critical race theory serves as a theoretical framework for understanding the high incidence of police brutality, particularly against Black males. The negative perceptions thrown at Black males create a climate that allows law enforcement officers to justify homicides and violence against that demographic. The notion of White Supremacy and how it has expanded police violence towards the African and African American people are explained by critical race theory. The theory describes the history of racism as well as its role in current racism and oppression of minorities (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). The history of racism, as presented by critical race theory, illustrates how racism progresses, citing examples such as how Black men were formerly lynched owing to ethnic stereotypes, and how Black men are now disproportionately victims of police brutality.

The retributive theory of punishment is another theory that might be used in this investigation. The retributive theory of punishment, developed and elaborated by Hart (1967), states that criminals in society must be punished for their wrongdoings in order to prevent them from committing similar or even different crimes in the future. Proponents of this idea also argue that the harshness of punishment should be proportional to the seriousness of the offense. The study is anchored by three main tenets of this theory: a person may be punished only if he or she has knowingly and willingly committed the offence, the suitable punishment must be comparable to the gravity of the offence, and the rationale for punishment is the moral uprightness of returning anguish for knowingly and willingly committed immorality (Bedau, 1978). As a result, police violence might be seen as a proportional response to the failure to provide justice for crimes committed during the disturbance. From the perspective of the victims’ families, the motivation behind police brutality is to dissuade law enforcement from engaging in similar acts in the future since their actions have a negative impact.

Research Methods

The structure or design that a researcher plans to use in a study to gather, analyze, and evaluate data is referred to as research design, and it is a critical component of the overall research effort (Bernard & Bernard, 2012). This study will use descriptive research, particularly the survey method, to explain the relationship between dependent variable (signified by causes and effects of police officers’ use of excessive use of force and nonviolent alternatives) and racial bias suppression and provide additional insight into the area under study. This would be a qualitative study with a similar experiment, with a consistent understanding of how families of victims of police brutality cope with witnessing their loved one hurt physically or emotionally or killed by law enforcement officials. The study would employ the phenomenological technique, which aims to comprehend and make sense of people’s experiences. This study aims to learn more about the perspectives of families whose loved ones have been killed or injured by police officers as a result of police brutality. The qualitative approach is critical for obtaining data that convey information on respondents’ (victims’ families) values and views about the study issue, as well as how those values and insights influences their behavior.

Sources of Data

The participants themselves, as well as reading materials on the same topic and issue statement, would be the primary sources of data. The literature items would be arranged according to their timeliness and data presentation. The literary materials would supplement the information gained from the phenomenological inquiry. The research will look at empirical studies and other related literature to figure out what causes police brutality and how it affects victims’ families.

Limitation, Challenges, or Barriers

The major challenges in conducting this study is that victims’ relatives may be hesitant to share details about how they have dealt with the fact that their loved one was harmed or murdered by individuals who were meant to protect them. The apprehension might stem from a fear of becoming a target for the criminals, who would like their identities not to be known (Bryant-Davis, T., Adams et al., 2017). Families may also be hesitant because they don’t want to repeat their darkest nightmares as they describe seeing their loved ones in agony or dying. For fear of repercussions from law enforcement, the victims’ family may be hesitant to be honest with the facts they provide. Families may also be hesitant to respond because of the trauma they are still experiencing as a result of losing a loved one, or some may be mentally damaged by the incidents.

Aligned Research Study

The social topic of how police violence impacts victims’ relatives is addressed in this study problem statement. The issue statement is founded on the dominant group’s long-held belief in superiority, which devalues other individuals, therefore serving as a justifier for law enforcement activities that have varying repercussions on victims’ families. It also corresponds to the research methodology, which is a phenomenological investigation. The goal of phenomenology research is to explain and comprehend human experiences. The study problem, which is the consequences of police violence on victims’ families, is likewise aligned with the research question.

References

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