Cumulative Dehumanization in Everyday Policing

Context: The study discusses policing practices in the U.S., particularly focusing on discretionary arrests under broken windows policing, which disproportionately affects people of color.
Key Framework: Introduces the concept of 'cumulative dehumanization'—highlighting how systemic dehumanization accumulates.

Cumulative Dehumanization Characterized by Four Aspects:
- An accumulation of systemic dehumanizing experiences.
- A weathering of the racialized body contributing to community dispossession.
- A product and (re)producer of mechanisms supporting racial capitalism.
- An accumulation of individual and collective resistance against dehumanization.

Dehumanization in Psychology:
- Traditionally viewed as extreme forms (e.g., war, genocide). Recent research includes infrahumanization—subtle everyday dehumanization.
- Consequences: Denial of key human entitlements (e.g., dignity, moral consideration) affecting both the perpetrators and the dehumanized.
Need for Comprehensive Analysis: Understanding requires integrating cognitive, biological, social, and political dimensions of experiences.

Broken Windows Policing:
- Targets low-level offenses with the intent of reducing serious crime.
- Disproportionate impact on communities of color, reinforcing societal perceptions of disorder.
Statistics:
- 85-95% of discretionary arrests are people of color.
- Little evidence connects these arrests to reductions in serious crime.

Research Methodology:
- Data derived from 200+ interviews and surveys among those experiencing discretionary arrests.
Key Findings:
- Participants describe dehumanizing moments from arrest to court processes:
- Stripping of dignity by police, including physical and verbal abuse.
- Experiences of neglect (e.g., denial of medical care, basic needs).

Experiential Impacts:
- Physical impacts (e.g., bruises, anxiety, fear).
- Psychological impacts reflected in trauma, depression, feelings of vulnerability, and disregard for personal agency.
- Social Consequences:
- Serious damage to personal relationships and community ties; individuals refrain from social interactions due to fear of police.
- Stigma associated with arrests affects self-perception and status among peers.

Arrests lead to various forms of material dispossession:
- Job loss due to absenteeism.
- Educational disadvantages (missed classes, inability to apply for scholarships).
- Impact on housing stability.
Financial Burdens: Participants reported significant monetary losses, averaging $1,200 due to police actions.

Forms of Resistance:
- Individual and collective efforts to counter policing abuses include community organizing, political activism, and collective support initiatives.
- Recognition of shared humanity amidst dehumanizing policies engenders solidarity and motivates action.

Interdisciplinary Approach Needed: To combat dehumanization effectively, merge various fields (psychology, sociology, policy studies).
Call for Comprehensive Policy Reform: Recognize and dismantle the ideologies fueling current policing tactics.
Future Directions: Study how cumulative dehumanization operates in different contexts and explore how grassroots solutions can emerge from lived experiences of those involved.