Racial Identity Attitudes and Vicarious Traumatization from Undue Police Violence on Anticipatory Traumatic Reaction Among Black Americans

Abstract

Although the viral nature of videos that capture violent and racialized policing of Black Americans in the United States can increase awareness, exposure to race-based violence can result in vicarious traumatization, particularly among Black Americans. The relationship between anticipatory traumatic reactions (ATRs) and racial identity attitudes is not clearly addressed in the extant body of literature. The current study addresses this research disparity by first analyzing group mean differences among Black Americans (N = 138) who were assigned to audiovisual, written, and imaginal exposure groups. The current study also used a cluster analysis of Black Americans to examine the differences between racial identity attitudes and ATRs following media exposure to undue police violence. Results from the study indicated that no differences in ATRs existed based on types of media exposure. Significant differences across three racial identity clusters existed between ATR in association with attitudes of assimilation, miseducation, self-hatred, anti-dominance, and ethnic-racial salience. Findings from the study suggest that mental health professionals should attend to racial identity attitudes as a relevant factor in how Black American clients experience the psychological impact of media exposure to undue police violence.