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The purpose of this study is to examine issues in measuring perceptions of police useof-force incidents. The Force Factor developed by Alpert and Dunham in 1997 is assessed as an objective, use-of-force measure by comparing it to several previously used measures of the perceived legitimacy of force used by officers in arrest situations. Findings indicate that few predictor variables are consistently related to the various measures of perceptions of the legitimacy of a single use-of-force incident. While the Force Factor uniquely considers level of suspect resistance, it does not appear to overcome perceptual biases inherent to measures of police use-of-force incidents.

The effect of violence on individual behavior has been well documented. However, the empirical literature surrounding the relationship between coercive prison environments and inmate well-being is limited. This is important not only for correctional administrators but also for reentry planning. Using a sample of 1,616 recently released male inmates, this study examines the psychological effect of victimization and of perceptions of threat and coercion arising from the prison environment. The study also examines whether social support affects cognitions and psychological symptoms and whether it moderates the effect of victimization and coercion. The findings reveal that coercion and social support are related to posttraumatic cognitions and trauma symptoms; however, social support does not provide a moderating effect.

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