Associations between Exposure to Police Violence (warranted or unwarranted), Perceptions of Police Legitimacy, and Personal Safety Interventions Among Black Emerging Adults

Background and Purpose: Exposure to police use of force is a public health concern for Black emerging adults ages 18-29 given its prevalence and association with negative health outcomes. However, research examining the role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions is scant. To address the noted gap in science, this cross-sectional study investigated the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between three types of exposure to police use of force (victim, witness, seen video in the media) and personal safety interventions (reliance on police, reliance on self, or reliance on others) in a sample of Black emerging adults in St. Louis, Missouri.

Methods: Computer assisted surveys were administered to English-speaking Black emerging adult college students (n = 300) with a history of exposure to police use of force. Univariate, bivariate, and path analyses were conducted.

Results: Participants self-reported exposure to police use of force during their lifetime was highest for seeing a video of police use of force in the media (Mean = 34.5, SD = 17.2). Perceptions of police legitimacy was moderately high (Mean = 72.1, SD = 13.0) and most participants relied on others for their personal safety (Mean = 6.7, SD = 3.77). Bivariate analysis revealed that all three types of exposures to police use of force were significantly associated with perceptions of police as being less legitimate. Additionally, findings from path analysis revealed an indirect-only mediation effect of perceptions of police as being less legitimate between seeing videos of police use of force in the media and less reliance on police for personal safety (indirect B = -.015, 95% CI = -.025, -.008).

Conclusions and Implications: Results from our study suggest that in the absence of perceived police legitimacy, some Black emerging adults who see videos in the media of police violence will rely less on police for their personal safety and engage in other alternative strategies to ensure their personal safety. However, future research that employs more rigorous sampling techniques and research designs that enable researchers to examine the long-term effects of exposure to police use of force on perceived police legitimacy and personal safety interventions for Black emerging adults and factors that moderate or mediate this relationship is warranted.