Viewing violent policing videos contributes to trauma symptoms for Black Americans.

Abstract

Objective: This research investigates how watching videos of police violence and experiences with police contributes to health disparities in well-being that disproportionately negatively affect Black Americans. Method: A large-scale survey of Americans (n = 1,240; n Black American = 286, n White American = 954) examined the impact of negative experiences with police and watching violent policing videos as distal (i.e., external) stressors that contribute to symptoms of trauma. The proximal (i.e., internal) stressor of worrying about being stereotyped as criminal by police was also examined. Results: Those who identified as Black were more likely to report negative experiences with police, exposure to violent policing videos, and greater worry about being stereotyped as criminal by police than those who identified as White. The three stressors were, in turn, associated with experiencing trauma symptoms. Conclusions: Exposure to violent policing videos is disproportionately associated with well-being for Black Americans, even when accounting for direct experiences with police. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering vicarious trauma in therapeutic settings and have implications for dissemination of these videos through media channels. Public Significance StatementVideos of police violence against Black Americans are distributed widely on social media and mass media channels. Our results indicate that watching these videos is associated with symptoms of trauma, an effect that is pronounced for Black viewers.