Annotated Bibliography on Police Brutality: Setting the Agenda for Minority Health

Alang, S., McAlpine, D., McCreedy, E., & Hardeman, R. (2017). Police Brutality and Black Health: Setting the Agenda for Public Health Scholars. American Journal Of Public Health, 107(5), 662-665. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2017.303691

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Police brutality and police violence are the main problems affecting various communities in America. However, according to the study performed by the researchers, the minority race and ethnic groups experience the worst form of police brutality. Alang et al. (2017) identify police brutality as the unwarranted use of force by police officers against civilians. They claim that police brutality does take not only the form of physical violence but also other forms. The source offers a properly defined insight on the social issue and provides a mixed-method study to appreciate the effects that police brutality on the black community. The study results identified that police brutality against the minority community contributes to their deteriorating health care. Additionally, it propagates the already present stereotypes concerning black communities. They also offer viable solutions that are applicable for both parties identifying a possible means of reducing police confrontation and resulting abuse.

Cooper, H. (2015). War on Drugs Policing and Police Brutality. Substance Use & Misuse, 50(8-9), 1188-1194. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1007669

The second source for the academic paper is by Cooper (2015). He conducts a qualitative study of historic attempts and outcomes of interventions used to reduce police brutality and war on drugs policing. The strategy used was to acquire historical data on the ethnic persecution by the police, how the war on drugs has contributed to the police brutality against the black community and the implications of supervision erosion of police brutality. The previous source offered a basic understanding of police brutality and its health-related consequences for the minority community. Alternatively, Cooper (2015), offers a historic perspective to the problem and how other police activities have spread the issue. The information plays an essential role in elaborating the social issues attributed to police brutality.

Maguire, E., & Duffee, D. (2015). Criminal justice theory (2nd ed., pp. 149-193). Routledge.

Unlike the other publications, studies attempting to appreciate the societal issue's reality through the use of scientific methodologies. Magurire and Duffee (2015) offer aa theoretical approach to police brutality and its causes. The publication explains the various approaches and strategies utilized by both the public and private sectors through the development of viable theories. Additionally, the publication addresses the social effects of police brutality from a wholistic level offering better comprehension of its effects. The publication was included to confirm the data or support the various journal articles that will be used. For example, in the publication, the authors summarized data based on various criteria such as race and gender, addressing the confidence of the public with the police constituting police brutality.

Bonilla, Y., & Rosa, J. (2015). #Ferguson: Digital protest, hashtag ethnography, and the racial politics of social media in the United States. American Ethnologist, 42(1), 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.12112

The final article used as a primary source in the academic essay is by Bonilla and Rosa (2015), who identify the role social media has with police brutality. It is a common fact, according to the authors, that social media has become a better source of information on social disparities compared to the news. Additionally, with over 70% of Americans having smartphones, more people can access social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. The same statistics are used by the researchers to demonstrate the ease of exposing police brutality, such as the Michael Brown Ferguson killing by a police officer. Social media offers a platform for numerous members of the community to confront the police and display “sub-par” policing. However, the researchers state that the popularity of the hangtag used, such as those in the Twitter community, should not be used as a statistical representation of awareness. Social media has the potential of distorting information, thereby changing the objective or purpose.