Fear of unjustified police harm can harm trust between law enforcement and many communities. A new study from Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice, led by doctoral student Keara Werth with Associate Professor Joe Hamm and published in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, investigates why people fear the police and how that fear shapes relationships with officers. The research used survey data from people with different racial and political backgrounds.
The team examined three psychological factors: control (whether people feel they can influence what happens during police encounters), likelihood (how likely they think unjustified harm by police is), and severity (how serious they expect the harm to be). They found that perceptions of likelihood and severity best explained fear: people who reported fear tended to believe an officer was likely to harm them and that any harm would be severe. The study did not find a strong link between fear and a person’s sense of control, and the authors say more work is needed to measure how people understand control during police contacts.
The study also considered demographic differences. Earlier research shows Black/African American individuals typically report the greatest fear of being killed by law enforcement, and other work finds pro-police attitudes are usually higher among Republicans than Democrats. In this study, the factors tied to fear were somewhat stronger among white participants, though overall patterns were similar across groups. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend practical steps: training and tactics that help officers recognize and respond to threats while avoiding actions and weapons that escalate encounters; clear, consistent words and actions to build public trust; and programs to teach people how to deescalate or lawfully avoid unjustified harm. They add that reducing actual risk may not immediately change public perceptions, so sustained effort is needed.
Difficult words
- unjustified — not allowed or not based on good reason
- perception — way people understand or notice somethingperceptions
- likelihood — how probable something is to happen
- severity — how serious or harmful an event would be
- deescalate — to reduce the intensity of a conflict
- sustained — continuing for a long time or period
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could training that avoids escalation help build trust between police and communities?
- Why might reducing actual risk not immediately change public perceptions, and what sustained efforts could help?
- What programs or community actions could teach people to deescalate or lawfully avoid unjustified harm?
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