"The Talk" regarding minority youth interaction with police

What is it about?

This study is an effort to describe whether “The Talk” (regarding behavior during interactions with police) occurs equally in African American, Latino, and White families . A sample of 307 university students, in three areas of Texas, were surveyed and data were analyzed through a process of coding to identify patterns and themes in the open-ended responses. Findings reveal that a majority (74%) of the youth surveyed have had “The Talk” with their parents/guardians, and this influences their perceptions of the police. Not surprisingly, African Americans were found to be more fearful and distrustful of law enforcement than Whites and Latinos.

Featured Image

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In this era of social unrest surrounding the recent deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of (mostly) white police, it is important the we examine the dynamics from both sides of the issue. We should 'arm' our youth with successful survival skills, but we should also call for increased training and cultural sensitivity and training on the part of law enforcement.