Open AccessPolicing Is a Public Health Issue: The Important Role of Health Educators
Author(s) -
Paul J. Fleming,
William D. Lopez,
Maren Spolum,
Riana Elyse Anderson,
Ángela Reyes,
Amy J. Schulz
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health education and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1552-6127
pISSN - 1090-1981
DOI - 10.1177/10901981211001010
Subject(s) - cognitive reframing , public health , public relations , health equity , sociology , health education , racism , social determinants of health , health promotion , disinvestment , community health , political science , criminology , medicine , psychology , social psychology , nursing , gender studies , law , foreign direct investment
For decades, marginalized communities have been naming the harms of policing-and the systemic racism that undergirds it-for health and well-being. Only recently have policing practices and racism within policing gained more widespread attention in public health. Building on social justice and emancipatory traditions in health education, we argue that health educators are uniquely prepared to use the evidence base to reframe narratives that drive aggressive policing and their disproportionate impacts on communities of color, promote disinvestment in militarized policing, and build relationships with community-based organizations and community organizers developing community-centered approaches to safety. Using public health institutions and institutions of higher education as examples, we suggest specific strategic actions that health educators can take to address policing as a public health issue. Health educators are uniquely poised to work with diverse community and institutional partners to support social movements that create community-centered, equitable approaches to public safety and health.