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ERIC Number: EJ1469262
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Policing Black Autistic Children: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Black Caregivers' Concerns
Ashlee Yates Flanagan1; Meredith Cola1,2; Naomi Yu1,3; Haley Peele4; Keeana Dicette1,5; Grace Hicks1; Maggie Rose Pelella1; Ayana King-Pointer1; Jamiel Owens1; Dieu M. Truong6; Aili Hauptmann1; Juan Pacheco7; Alison Russell8; Amanda Lee1; Sarah Schillinger1; Maxine Covello1; Meg Lyons1; Rita Solórzano9; Sinan Turnacioglu9; Vijay Ravindran9; Joseph P. McCleery1,7; Judith S. Miller1,3; Julia Parish-Morris1,3
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n5 p1303-1317 2025
In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.5; 79% male) regarding police interactions with their autistic children. Four themes emerged: concerns regarding the "Quality of police officers' training," children's "Autistic behaviors being inappropriately policed," the explicit "Threat of harm and murder," and the hope for "Mindful Policing." These findings demonstrate that caregivers' concerns about police behaviors are inextricably linked to their concerns about the quality of police officers' training. The results of this study highlight (1) the importance of including racially and ethnically diverse individuals in research exploring autistic individuals' police interactions, (2) the need for culturally responsive adaptations to existing policing interventions designed for autistic people, and (3) the urgency of integrating Black caregivers' concerns into law enforcement training efforts.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania; New Jersey; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: R42MH115539S1
Author Affiliations: 1Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA; 2La Salle University, USA; 3University of Pennsylvania, USA; 4University of California, San Francisco, USA; 5Temple University, USA; 6Texana Center, USA; 7Saint Joseph’s University, USA; 8The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; 9Floreo, Inc., USA