Source: Stuart O’Sullivan / Getty
A new study conducted by researchers from the Department of Sociology at Ohio State University found that Black boys do not feel safe in predominantly white neighborhoods. In the study, according to The New York Times, 506 Black boys between the ages of 11 to 17 were given smartphones to track their locations every 30 seconds for a week. Participants in the study were asked where they were, who they were with and how safe they felt around Columbus, Ohio on a scale of 1 to 5.
The study found that young Black men “expect increased scrutiny, surveillance and even direct targeting when in areas that have more white people than they typically encounter.” They also felt less safe in neighborhoods that were “poorer than the ones they frequented.” On the other hand, Black girls didn’t feel less safe in white areas.
Christopher Browning, the study’s lead author said, “Their experiences aren’t as variable—they do not spend as much time in Black neighborhoods that Black youth spend in white neighborhoods. It’s the experience of having to navigate places that are whiter that may actually introduce more scrutiny to Black male youth—by police, by residents—creating the potential for harassment and even victimization.”
Researchers then expressed concern about long-term consequences that these perceptions of safety will have on Black boys. Browning added, “This is thought to be one of the reasons why Black youth are generally not as healthy as white youth. There could be some physical and mental health trajectories which we could extrapolate to explain healthcare disparities in adult populations.”
