Profiles of Black Emerging Adult Exposure to Racism-Based Police Violence and Associated Mental Health Outcomes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Background and Purpose: There is a growing concern regarding the prevalence of police violence toward Black emerging adults 18 to 29 years of age. The primary role of police officers is to enforce public safety and safeguard the personal safety of all civilians in the communities they serve. When police disproportionately engage in violence toward certain groups (i.e., Black emerging adults), some members of that group can perceive the actions of police as racism-based police violence and experience negative mental health outcomes. This study characterizes the profile of Black emerging adults aged 18-29 generated from sociodemographic characteristics, indicators of direct (as a victim or witnessing in person) and indirect (seen in media) exposure to perceived racism-based police violence (RPV), and indicators of race-based traumatic stress symptoms (RBTSS). Methods: A purposive sample of 300 Black emerging adults in Saint Louis, Missouri, was recruited for this exploratory study. Descriptive and multivariate statistics using the TwoStep cluster analysis (CA) were performed to generate profiles of this sample. Results: Three distinct profiles emerged from the CA. Cluster 1 was characterized by participants who were employed part-time, reside in St. Louis County, and had low rates of RPV exposure (direct and indirect) and RBTS. Cluster 2 consisted of participants who had low rates of unemployment and high rates of police contacts, RPV exposure (direct and indirect), and RBTSS. Finally, Cluster 3 was comprised of participants who reside in St. Louis City, low rates of police contacts and direct RPV exposure, and high rates of unemployment, indirect RPV exposure, and RBTSS. Conclusions and Implications: Together with demographic associations, these findings reveal different risk groups for RPV by type of exposure and RBTSS, providing guidance for the field of social work. Findings documented in the current investigation convey a sense of urgency and call for increased preventive and intervention efforts focused on the reduction of RBV exposure and the amelioration of associated RBTSS.