How does police violence affect physical and mental health for Black sexually minoritized men?

I have worked with an outstanding multidisciplinary team of scholars and practitioners exploring the effects of violence on Black adolescents and adults led by Dean Dexter Voisin at Case Western University's Mandel School and Professor Katherine Quinn at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Our most recent published study in Social Science and Medicine, led by Professor Quinn, focuses on the ways that police brutality (direct victimization and indirect exposure) affects individual health and access to health services and care systems. In-depth interviews with 31 Black, cisgender men (male at birth) provide the data for the analysis.

Below is the published abstract:

"Young Black gay, bisexual, and other sexually minoritized men (SMM) face high levels of police brutality and other negative, unwarranted encounters with the police. Such interactions have known health consequences. The purpose of this study was to understand the health, mental health, and social consequences of police brutality experienced by young Black SMM. We conducted in-depth interviews with 31 Black, cisgender men, ages of 16–30 and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Our primary results are summarized in four themes: 1) Police brutality is built into the system and diminishes trust; 2) Videos and social media make visible violence that has long existed; 3) Police brutality contributes to anxiety and other psychosocial effects; and 4) Violence reduces feelings of safety and contributes to avoidance of police. Our results highlight the direct and vicarious police brutality participants are subjected to and sheds light on the effects of such violence on trust, perceived safety, anxiety, and trauma symptoms. Results from this study contribute to the needed public health conversation around police brutality against Black men, specifically shedding light on the experiences of Black SMM."

Until October 22, 2023, the publisher is offering open access to the article through this link: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1hhUq-CmUzfam. We appreciate the opportunity provided by the publisher for sharing this article with you!