Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2021 African American Men’s Negative Personal Experiences With and Trust in Police Cachet Dominique Burks Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Cachet D. Burks has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Sharon Xuereb, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Ethel Perry, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Victoria Latifses, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2021 Abstract African American Men’s Negative Personal Experiences With and Trust in Police by Cachet D. Burks MS, Walden University, 2016 BA, Alvernia University, 2013 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Forensic Psychology Walden University February 2021 Abstract African American men’s negative experiences with the police have impacted their trust of police. Many African American men have experienced psychological trauma, more specifically posttraumatic stress disorder, due to their encounters with police. As a result of these negative personal experiences, their reporting of crimes has decreased significantly, and gun-related violence is going unreported. There is limited literature on this topic. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the negative personal experiences that some African American men have with police officers and their experiences of trust of law enforcement. Personal construct theory, which is a theory that helps explain how a person processes a past event and then allows them to anticipate future events, guided this study. Data were collected in semi structured interviews with 10 African American men who had negative personal experiences with police. The following themes emerged from their responses: encounter with the police, helplessness, and what trust looks like with the police. The study has implications for positive social change including the potential to address the issue of trust between African American men and law enforcement, which can have positive effects on African American communities through the reporting of crimes and diminishing the fear of police. With more crimes reported, police can surveille areas that need a heavier presence of law enforcement to make the community feel safer. African American Men’s Negative Personal Experiences With and Trust in Police by Cachet D. Burks MS, Walden University, 2016 BS, Alvernia University, 2013 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Forensic Psychology Walden University February 2021 Dedication First and foremost, I dedicate this dissertation to Allah. Without Allah I would not be here today. To my children, Haniyah, Somaya, Aanye, Rahsaan, and Sarah, you guys are my world. To my husband, thank you for the encouragement because there were times when I wanted to give up and you would look at me and tell me that giving up was not an option. You passed right before I finished but I know you are still watching over me. I love you. Lastly, I would also like to dedicate this proposal to all of the African American men and women who have lost their lives due to police violence. Acknowledgments I would like to express how grateful I am to have the members of my committee as well as the support from my friends and family. To my chair, Dr. Sharon Xuereb, thank you for your support, your patience, and your guidance. Your feedback was always prompt, which was helpful for a nervous individual like me. To Dr. Ethel Perry, thank you for your honesty and attention to detail. To Loni, thank you for catching all the small errors! To my friends and family, thank you for not allowing me to give up. Thank you for listening to me complain, cry, yell, and then get it all together just so I could do the same thing the next day. I love you all. Table of Contents List of Figures ......................................................................................................................v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................2 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................6 Research Questions ........................................................................................................7 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................8 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................9 Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................................9 Assumptions .................................................................................................................10 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................11 Limitations ...................................................................................................................11 Significance..................................................................................................................12 Summary ......................................................................................................................13 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................14 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................15 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................15 Literature Review Related to Key Variable and Concepts ..........................................23 Historical Relationship Between African Americans and Police ......................... 24 Trust of Police ....................................................................................................... 25 i Stop and Frisk ..............................................................................................................28 Police Brutality ..................................................................................................... 30 Police Training and Community Policing Programs ............................................ 32 The Talk ................................................................................................................ 34 Learned Helplessness ............................................................................................ 36 Review of Research Methodology ...............................................................................41 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................................42 Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................44 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................45 Phenomenon of the Study ..................................................................................... 45 Research Tradition ................................................................................................ 45 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................48 Methodology ................................................................................................................50 Selection of Participants ....................................................................................... 50 Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 53 Procedure for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection ..................................56 Data Analysis Plan .......................................................................................................58 Issues of Trustworthiness .............................................................................................59 Credibility ............................................................................................................. 59 Transferability ......................................................................................................