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Aboriginal scars from frontier wars

A long-running ARC-funded project explores the recruitment and impact of Aboriginal men as native mounted police in Queensland, revealing ongoing psychological impacts of historical dispossession and frontier violence. The study argues that inter-generational trauma persists among Indigenous Australians.

SourceFlinders University·JournalJournal of Genocide Research·DateMar 18, 2020

Statewide prevalence of gun ownership tied to police use of lethal force

A new study by Carnegie Mellon University researcher Daniel S. Nagin found a strong positive correlation between statewide gun ownership and police use of lethal force, suggesting that more guns lead to more police shootings. The analysis also showed that access to trauma centers can lower rates of deaths in police encounters.

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalThe Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science·DateFeb 14, 2020

A cautionary tale about measuring racial bias in policing

Two Princeton professors critique a study on racial bias in policing, pointing out that it ignored crucial factors like encounter rates and didn't account for all police-civilian interactions. The researchers' conclusions hinge on an assumption that black and white officers encounter black and white civilians equally.

SourcePrinceton School of Public and International Affairs·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 20, 2020

Organized cybercrime -- not your average mafia

Researchers identified common attributes of cybercrime networks, revealing how they function and work together. These networks are composed of hackers coming together due to shared functional skills, often collaborating to cause greater disruption.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalInternational Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology·DateJan 16, 2020

Police killings of unarmed black Americans may have health impacts for nearby unborn black infants

A new study suggests that police killings of unarmed Black Americans during pregnancy can lead to smaller birth weights and shorter gestational ages in nearby unborn Black infants. This unique effect is thought to be driven by perceived injustice, discrimination, and fear related to the killings.

Dartmouth engineers develop new way to know liars' intent

Researchers at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth have developed an approach for detecting a speaker's intent to mislead, which could be used to extract opinion from 'fake news.' The framework uses universal features of deceptive reasoning and has been shown to outperform models based on verbal changes and personal differences.

SourceThayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth·JournalJournal of Experimental & Theoretical Artificial Intelligence·DateNov 1, 2019

Violence linked to social isolation, hypervigilance and chronic health problems

Exposure to violence negatively impacts physical and psychosocial health in urban adults. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with limited physical activity, poor nutrition, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Chronic hypervigilance also linked to increased blood pressure, memory impairment, and anxiety disorders.

SourceUniversity of Chicago Medical Center·JournalHealth Affairs·DateOct 7, 2019

Commit a crime? Loved ones got your back

A recent University of Michigan study reveals that people tend to prioritize protecting close relationships over reporting immoral acts, even in cases of theft and sexual harassment. Researchers found that this bias can be attenuated by adopting a psychologically distanced perspective.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin·DateSep 24, 2019

Public attitudes toward police

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial in New Haven, Connecticut, where police officers made community policing visits to residents' homes. The study found that positive interactions improved public trust and cooperation with police, especially among black individuals and those with strong negative views towards the police.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 16, 2019

Not in Gotham anymore

A comic book by Ann E. Fink examines the bioethics of treating a torturer's PTSD, highlighting the importance of considering social dimensions of traumatic stress. The comic raises critical questions about the responsibilities of clinicians and researchers, as well as individual rights and collective social responsibilities.

SourceLehigh University·JournalAJOB Neuroscience·DateAug 27, 2019

Police less proactive after negative public scrutiny, study says

A new study found that police officers become less proactive when they perceive negative public scrutiny, even if they are motivated to help people. The researchers surveyed 183 police officers and 238 firefighters across the southern US, finding a significant link between perceived public understanding and officer proactivity.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalOrganizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes·DateAug 19, 2019

Sustained police effort explains higher arrests for gun murders

A new study by Duke and Northeastern universities reveals that sustained police efforts lead to higher arrest rates for gun murders compared to nonfatal shootings. The researchers found that persistence in investigating fatal cases results in more arrests due to increased resources and cooperation from witnesses.

SourceDuke University·JournalCriminology & Public Policy·DateAug 1, 2019

Police officers' exposure to peers accused of misconduct shapes their subsequent behavior

A Northwestern University study found that police officers who had colleagues previously named in use-of-force complaints were more likely to be named in subsequent complaints. The researchers recommend police departments consider the impact of assigning officers with histories of using excessive force on other officers' behavior.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalCriminology & Public Policy·DateAug 1, 2019

Racial disparity in fatal officer-involved shootings

A study by researchers at the University of Maryland found that white officers were not more likely to shoot minority civilians than black or Hispanic officers. Violent crime rates where the shooting took place were the strongest factor in predicting the race of a person fatally shot by police.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 22, 2019

'Racist police officer' stereotype may become a self-fulfilling prophecy

A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that officers worried about appearing racist report lower confidence and increased support for coercive policing. The research suggests a vicious cycle where officers' concerns about stereotype threats lead to decreased moral authority and more aggressive policing tactics.

SourceAmerican Psychological Association·JournalLaw and Human Behavior·DateJul 15, 2019

Using artificial intelligence to detect discrimination

Researchers developed an AI tool to detect discrimination in salaries and policing, using causality-based counterfactual inference algorithms. The tool was tested on various datasets and found evidence of gender-based discrimination in salary, with women having lower odds of receiving a salary over $50,000 per year.

BU finds police shooting racial disparities reflect segregation

A new study by Boston University School of Public Health found that racial residential segregation explains greater racial disparities in fatal police shootings. The ratio of Black to White victims of police shootings increases by 44% for each percent of a city's Black population that would need to move for an equal distribution.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalJournal of the National Medical Association·DateJul 8, 2019