“They gotta beat us”: A qualitative investigation of multiple forms of violence and police interactions among urban youth

Abstract

Interactions with police in neighborhoods shape how residents perceive justice and equity. A growing body of literature seeks to understand how young adults interact, experience, and perceive the criminal justice system with a focus on policing in their neighborhoods. However, to date much of the research in this area only focuses on singular forms of violence or vicarious police contact in relation to the views youth hold with regard to criminal justice. The purpose of this study is to identify the ways in which young adults living in Philadelphia conceptualize and experience multiple forms of violence embedded in policing practices. To capture young adult perceptions of policing at the intersection of multiple forms of violence we used multi-pronged qualitative methods, conducted 85 interviews and field observations, and collected geo-located heart rate data across 12 participants, aged 16 to 21. We find that exposure to multiple forms of violence (interpersonal, symbolic and structural) through policing practices lead to a mistrust of the criminal justice system. Key findings indicate that at times police escalate situations leading to increased violence and that youth may be negatively impacted not only through individual level interactions but also through the mere presence of law enforcement. These results highlight the importance of studying and intervening in violence in multiple forms, particularly within the context of policing.