The problem of police violence is not new, but over the past ten years, due to social networks and the courage of human rights defenders, people can talk about the frequency of such cases. Victims of police violence are more open about their problems and how they failed to find support. Considering the latest trends, researchers can speak with confidence about the rooting of the social phenomenon of violence within the institutions of law and order, the key institutions of any state.
Police brutality and public discussion in this field are linked to the problems of institutional racism toward the black population in the United States. It is believed that in their address, the police show more ‘boldness’ and do not feel that their actions will subsequently lead to severe punishment (Reinka & Leach, 2017). The feeling of protection and approval within the police community helps many people quickly decide on brutality during detention or interrogation, even though the Constitution regulates the rights of detainees, suspects, accused, and prisoners.
The state rarely intervenes in police brutality, which leads to many social problems. One of them is the deterioration of people’s general mental health and condition. People become more prone to depression, and some, unable to survive the humiliation, shame, and abuse, commit suicide. Some people, on the contrary, become the most aggressive and, without receiving psychotherapeutic help, turn into avengers. It is essential to show such people that what happened to them is not normal, and society does not approve of such behavior of the police. At the legislative and state level, reforms should be carried out to reduce the incidence of police violence. There should be clear guidelines on the sanctions imposed on a police officer who commits such a crime. Police violence affects public health and marks its grave crisis (Obasogie & Newman, 2017, pp. 291-292). It might seem that state institutions are destroying themselves, which affects people from all sides, especially the unprotected segments of the population.
References
Obasogie, O. K., & Newman, Z. (2017). Police violence, use of force policies, and public health. American Journal of Law & Medicine, 43(2–3), 279–295.
Reinka, M. A., & Leach, C. W. (2017). Race and reaction: Divergent views of police violence and protest against. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 768–788.