NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Physicians can work with young black males to address negative police interactions, thereby helping to keep them safe, according to a special article in Pediatrics, online January 9.
The article’s goal, according to Dr. Barry Zuckerman of Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts, “is to encourage pediatricians and other physicians who care for black adolescents or young adult males to emphasize, if patients are stopped by the police, both their rights and the police’s legal obligations.”
Physicians should address these issues, he stressed, “regardless of whether or not parents have already done so.”
“Stops by police when not warranted are psychologically traumatic and can lead to physical injury and even death,” he said. “While physicians won’t get reimbursed for their effort and time, clinicians prioritize which adolescent risk – e.g., unhealthy eating, condom use, alcohol and cigarette use, etc. – they believe is most important to address for each patient.”
“The risk of harm should raise this issue high on list of topics that physicians should address for black adolescents,” he emphasized.
Dr. Zuckerman and his colleagues developed a physician version of “the talk,” a colloquial phrase to describe the conversations black parents have with their children – particularly boys – about interacting with police. The recommendations are based on the team’s expertise in this area and that of groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Three fundamental points can be communicated verbally and supplemented in a handout,” the authors note. They are:
1. “I want you to know your legal rights with the police.” These include a right to an explanation, to not answer questions, to not consent to a search, and to file a complaint if disrespected or abused.
2. “I want you to remember that your main goal is to get home safely.” That may mean permitting a search, if it feels like a safer choice; not running away; staying calm; and speaking politely.
3. “It’s not fair that you have to worry about negative police interactions.” This means it is normal to be worried or angry about being stopped.
Noting the potential role of the physician as “a resource and ally,” the team suggests that physicians initiate the talk by asking the patient if he has had negative police interactions, and to offer support.
“Showing concern, sharing knowledge, and offering support may enhance both young minority patients’ psychological and physical health and your relationships with them,” the authors conclude.
Dr. Oksana Hagerty, a learning specialist and academic advisor at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, said in an email to Reuters Health, “‘The Talk’ is essentially a wrap-around capacity that can drive success of minority youth here and now, while society attempts to deal with the cause, which can take years – and hence, lives.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2Fjdu3G
Pediatrics 2018.
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