Publications
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýPolice violence exposure among Latinx adults in the United States is increasingly concerning due to its prevalence and associated risks for adverse mental, behavioral, and physical health outcomes. This integrative review appraised studies published from 2003 to 2023 that examine the relationship between police violence exposure and negative health outcomes in Latinx adults.Ìý
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýMotley, R. O., Jr., Roh, H., Patel, P., & Walker, D. (2024). Police violence exposure and associated health outcomes for Latinx adults in the U.S.: A scoping review.ÌýTrauma, Violence, & Abuse.Ìý
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýRacism-based experiences among Black African immigrants in the United States are a growing concern due to the prevalence of these events and risk for negative health (mental, behavioral, and physical) outcomes. This integrative review appraised published studies (2012–2023) addressing the relationship between racism-based experiences and adverse health for Black African immigrants.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýMotley, R. O. Jr., Walker, D., Willock, J., & Byansi, W. (2024). Health Impact of Racism-based Experiences among Black African Immigrant Adults in the United States: An Integrative Review.ÌýTrauma, Violence, & Abuse.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýPolice violence exposure among Latinx adults in the United States is increasingly concerning due to its prevalence and associated risks for adverse mental, behavioral, and physical health outcomes. This integrative review appraised studies published from 2003 to 2023 that examine the relationship between police violence exposure and negative health outcomes in Latinx adults.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R. O., Jr., Roh, H., Patel, P., & Walker, D. (2024). Police violence exposure and associated health outcomes for Latinx adults in the U.S.: A scoping review.ÌýTrauma, Violence, & Abuse.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýRacism-based experiences among Black African immigrants in the United States are a growing concern due to the prevalence of these events and risk for negative health (mental, behavioral, and physical) outcomes. This integrative review appraised published studies (2012–2023) addressing the relationship between racism-based experiences and adverse health for Black African immigrants.
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R. O. Jr., Walker, D., Willock, J., & Byansi, W. (2024). Health Impact of Racism-based Experiences among Black African Immigrant Adults in the United States: An Integrative Review.ÌýTrauma, Violence, & Abuse.Ìý
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýA growing body of evidence makes plain that exposure to perceived racism-based events, particularly for Black emerging adults aged 18–29, represents a major public health concern in the United States given its widespread prevalence and documented association with adverse health outcomes. However, research on the prevalence and correlates of exposure to perceived racism-based police violence (RPV) for Black emerging adults is scant. The current study examines the prevalence and correlates of RPV exposure among a sample of 300 Black emerging adult college students, utilizing computer-assisted surveys.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýMotley, R., Williamson, E., & Quinn, C. (2024). Prevalence and Correlates of Exposure (Direct and Indirect) to Perceived Racism-Based Police Violence among Black Emerging Adult College Students.ÌýSocial Work in Public Health, 1–12.
SUMMARY: This study characterizes the profile of Black emerging adults aged 18-29 generated from sociodemographic characteristics and indicators of police contact and exposure to racism-based police violence (RPV), and the relationship between profiles and traumatic stress symptoms.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýMotley, R. O., Williamson, E., Pieterse, A. L., & Harris, M. (2024). Profiles of Black Emerging Adults Exposure to Racism-Based Police Violence and Associated Mental Health Outcomes. Emerging Adulthood, 0(0).
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýIn this article, racism is defined and a discussion is offered on its impact on the health and well-being of Black adults in the United States; the intersection of racism and policing; contemporary racialized policing practices; emerging evidence on prevalence rates for exposure (direct and indirect) to perceived racism-based police violence and associated mental and behavioral health outcomes; and police accountability through executive, legislative, legal, and other remedies.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýRobert O. Motley Jr.Ìýand Christopher Baidoo (2023). Racism and Accountable Policing for Black Adults in the United States. National Association of Social Workers Press and Oxford University Press.
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýExposure to police violence is a public health concern for Black emerging adults ages 18–29 given its prevalence and association with negative health outcomes. However, research examining the role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions is scant. This study investigated the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions (reliance on police, self, or others) in a sample of Black emerging adults.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýRobert O. Motley Jr.ÌýandÌýSean Joe (2023). Exposure to Police Use of Force, Perceived Police Legitimacy, and Personal Safety Interventions Among Black Emerging Adult College Students. Journal of the Society for Social Work and ResearchÌý0Ìý0:0,Ìý000 000. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717586
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýCommunity violence exposure (CVE) and its health impact is a public health crisis. Violent crime has steadily increased over recent years and has disproportionately affected Black communities. Emerging adulthood (18–29 years old) is a vulnerable period of development and Black emerging adults may be at increased risk for negative physical and mental health consequences from CVE. This integrative review was conducted to evaluate the available evidence on health outcomes in Black emerging adults exposed to CVE. This review appraised published studies (2012–2022) addressing physical and mental health outcomes of Black emerging adults with CVE.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýWalker, D. T., Bills, K. L., & Motley, R. O. (2023). Physical and Mental Health Outcomes of Black Emerging Adults with Community Violence Exposure: An Integrative Review.ÌýTrauma, Violence, & Abuse,Ìý0(0).Ìý
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýAnxiety, depression, and psychological distress are public health concerns for Black emerging adults ages 18–29, given their prevalence in this population. However, we have scant empirical research investigating the prevalence and correlates of negative mental outcomes among Black emerging adults with a history of exposure to police use of force. Thus, the current study examined the prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being and how they vary among a sample of Black emerging adults with a history of direct or indirect exposure to police use of force.
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýRobert O Motley, Yu-Chih Chen, Jamie D Motley (2023). Prevalence and Correlates of Adverse Mental Health Outcomes among Male and Female Black Emerging Adults with a History of Exposure (Direct versus Indirect) to Police Use of Force,ÌýSocial Work Research, Volume 47, Issue 2, Pages 125–134.
SUMMARY:ÌýAnxiety disorders are among the most prevalent disorders for Black emerging adults ages 18 to 29 in America. Moreover, some Black emerging adults with a history of exposure to police use of force may experience police contact anxiety (PCA) symptoms during (e.g., unable to relax) or in anticipation of future police contacts (e.g., urge to avoid police), which may develop into an anxiety disorder.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R., Chen, Y.C., Finner, A., Masood, Y., & Joe, S. (2023). Prevalence and Correlates of Police Contact Anxiety among Male and Female Black Emerging Adults in St. Louis, Missouri.ÌýSocial Work Research.Ìý
SUMMARY: Suicidality (thinking about, planning, and attempting) has become a national growing public health concern for Black emerging adult college students in America due to increased rates among this population. The goal of the current cross-sectional study is to examine the mediating role of police contact anxiety (PCA) and moderating role of grit in the relationship between exposure to videos of police use of force in media and suicidality.Ìý
CITATION: Motley, R., Simmons, E., Azasu, E., Clifton, M., Walker, D. T., & Carnayla Johnson. (2022). Utilizing a Mediation-Moderation Model to Examine Exposure to Videos of Police use of Force in Media, Police Contact Anxiety, Grit, and Suicidality among Black Emerging Adult College Students.ÌýJournal of the Society for Social Work and Research. Advance online publication.Ìý
SUMMARY: Racial discrimination and cannabis use among Black emerging adults in America is a growing public health concern. However, research examining the relationship between exposure to perceived racism-based police use-of-force and cannabis use for this population is scant. This study examined the frequency of exposure (direct and indirect) to racism-based police use-of-force and its relationship with past 30-day cannabis use for a sample of Black emerging adult men and women 18–29Ìýyears of age.
CITATION: Motley, R. O.,ÌýJr., Byansi, W., Siddiqi, R., Bills, K., & Salas-Wright, C. P. (2022). Perceived Racism-based Police Use of Force and Cannabis Use among Black Emerging Adults.ÌýAddictive Behaviors Reports. Advance online publication.Ìý
SUMMARY: Racism, whether intentional or unintentional, is a potentially stressful and traumatic event that has been shown to be detrimental to the health of Black populations in the US.4ÌýAlthough findings from the study by Fani and colleagues2Ìýsuggests a neurobiological pathway of relevance to racism-associated stress, their study provides some support for the hypothesis that neurobiology may operate as an underlying process and mechanism by which recurring experiences of racism or constant fear or anticipation of a racism-based experience can lead to negative health-associated outcomes for some Black individuals.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R. O., Jr,Ìý& Rogers, C. (2021). Insights on Neural Response to Racist Threats.ÌýJAMA Psychiatry.Ìý
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýThis study provides evidence that direct (i.e., victimization or witnessing the event in person) and indirect (i.e., seen in media) exposure to perceived racism-based police violence is a measurable dimension of racist experiences with negative mental health consequences for Black emerging adults. Additionally, it extends our understanding of the frequency of distinct law enforcement-related racism-based experiences for this population by sex.Ìý
CITATION: Motley, R. O.,ÌýJr.,ÌýJoe, S., McQueen, A., Clifton, M., & Carlton, D. (2022). Development, Construct Validity, and Measurement Invariance of the Modified Classes of Racism Frequency of Racial Experiences Measure (M-CRFRE) to Capture Direct and Indirect Exposure to Perceived Racism-Based Police use of Force for Black Emerging Adults.ÌýCultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology.ÌýAdvance online publication.Ìý
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýThe prevalence of community-based violence (CBV) exposure among black American male emerging adults ages 18 to 25 with a history of involvement with the criminal justice system is a major public health concern. Although exposure (whether as victim or witness) to CBV is linked with negative outcomes, empirical research examining black men’s negative emotional responses to seeing videos of real-life incidents of CBV on social media is scant. To address these identified concerns and make recommendations for future research, the present study examines the relationship between seeing videos of CBV on social media and three types of negative emotional responses (that is, feeling sad, angry, and fearful) prior to incarceration among a sample of 101 black men detained in a midwestern jail.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýRobert O Motley, Yu-Chih Chen, Carnayla Johnson, Sean Joe (2020). Exposure to Community-Based Violence on Social Media among Black Male Emerging Adults Involved with the Criminal Justice System, Social Work Research, Volume 44, Issue 2, June 2020, Pages 87–97.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýThere is limited research about suicidal behaviors among Black emerging adults (peak age of suicide risk) who report exposure to police violence. The current study applies an integrated approach to examine individual, immediate environment, and community-based risk and protective factors of suicide among Black college students who reported previous exposure to police violence.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýSzlyk, H., Motley, R., Joe, S., Nonas-Barnes, L., & Azasu, E. (2023). An Examination of Suicidal Behavior among Black College Students with Exposure to Police Violence.ÌýSocial Work, 68(1),Ìý18-27.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýA significant treatment gap exists for incarcerated men with lifetime traumatic experiences. A small research base for trauma interventions for incarcerated women is emerging, but incarcerated men have largely been ignored. Men comprise 90% of the incarcerated population and are at the greatest risk to be rearrested for a new crime after release. One of the most overlooked, but highly influential, factors in poor postrelease outcomes of formerly incarcerated men is unaddressed symptoms resulting from lifetime traumatic experiences. Studies of incarcerated men report up to 98% have had at least one lifetime traumatic experience—many have experienced multiple traumas. With nearly 600,000 men releasing from incarceration each year, there is an urgent need to develop targeted interventions for incarcerated men. We aim to advance the field toward gender-specific and incarceration-responsive trauma intervention approaches.Ìý
CITATION:ÌýPettus-Davis., C., Renn, T., Lacasse, J. &ÌýMotley, R. (2019). Proposing a population-specific intervention approach to treat trauma among men before and after incarceration.ÌýPsychology of Men and Masculinity.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýExposure to trauma, whether through witnessing or direct victimization, is often a daily reality for many Black males. Findings from this review suggest that 56-74% of Black males exposed to traumatic events may have an unmet need for mental health services. Future research examining the relationship between trauma and mental health service use for Black men and factors that moderate and/or mediate this relationship is warranted.
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R.Ìý& Banks, A. (2018). Black males, trauma, and mental health service Use: Asystematic review.ÌýPerspectives on Social Work, 14(1),Ìý4-19.Ìý
SUMMARY:ÌýBlack emerging adults ages 18–29, particularly those residing in predominantly black urban communities, are at risk for community violence exposure (CVE). This potentially traumatic event may induce traumatic stress reactions for black emerging adults that contribute to their engagement in violence perpetration, substance use and/or sexual risk-taking behaviors as a way to cope with their experiences. To address these identified concerns and make recommendations for future research, this article identifies and synthesizes results from studies that have examined CVE and its association with violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults.
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R., Sewell, W., & Chen, Y.C. (2017). Community violence exposure and risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults: A systematic review. Journal of Community Health, 42(5), 1069-1078.
³§±«²Ñ²Ñ´¡¸é³Û:ÌýDisparities in police responses to Black and White people have received significant research and public attention in recent years. This study examines self-reported accounts of exposure to and perceptions of police use of force among Black and White ethnic groups by sex and income level.Ìý
°ä±õ°Õ´¡°Õ±õ°¿±·:ÌýMotley, R., & Joe, S. (2018). Police use of force by ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic class.ÌýJournal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 9(1),Ìý49-67.Ìý
SUMMARY: The present report, A 21st Century Look at Threats to the Personal Safety of Emerging Adults in Massachusetts, provides current estimates of homicide, suicide, police use of fatal and non-fatal force, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations for emerging adults in Massachusetts to shed light on factors that pose the greatest threat to their personal safety by gender, ethnicity, and location.Ìý
CITATION: Motley, R. O., Jr., Siddiqi, R., Acharya, A. Williamson, E., Walker, D.T., & Bills, K. (2022, May). A 21st Century Look at Threats to the Personal Safety of Emerging Adults in Massachusetts (Racism-based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab Research Brief No. 1). Boston, MA: ɬÀï·¬ÏÂÔØ, Racism-Based Violence Injury & Prevention LabÌý
SUMMARY:ÌýThis study provides insight into the social mobility patterns of Black emerging adults 22 to 29 years of age in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. This research specifically looks at educational attainment, employment, and income as factors for upward social mobility.Ìý
CITATION: Motley, R.O., Jr., Williamson, E., Motley, J.D., Siddiqi, R.Ìý(2022, November). Social Mobility Patterns Among Black Emerging Adults in Suffolk County, MA. (Racism-based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab Research Brief No. 2). Boston, MA: ɬÀï·¬ÏÂÔØ, Racism-Based Violence Injury & Prevention LabÌýhttps://doi.org/10.6017/ssw.rbvipl.rb001.kq2953
SUMMARY:ÌýThis report delves into the prevalence and characteristics ofÌý fatal encounters from 2013-2023, distinguishing the roles and responses of different law enforcement agencies.
CITATION:ÌýMotley, R. O., Jr., Williamson, E., Carver, L., & Delgado, A. (2024, April).ÌýAn In-Depth Analysis of Fatal Encounters with U.S. Law Enforcement: Dissecting the Roles of Federal, State, and Local Agencies (Racism-based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab Research Brief No. 3). Boston, MA: ɬÀï·¬ÏÂÔØ, Racism-Based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab. Ìý