Racial discrimination and belief in a just world: Police violence against teenagers in Brazil

Abstract

Discrimination against black people is analyzed based on tolerance for police violence, support for lowering the age of criminal responsibility, and support for the payment of compensation by the police to teenage offenders. Three studies were conducted, all with university students and high school students. In Study 1 (N = 118), the influence of the type of crime (robbery versus drug trafficking) and the target of criminal action (identifiable versus unidentifiable) on the variables studied were analyzed. Study 2 (N = 343) examined the effect of the relationship between the type of crime (robbery versus drug trafficking), the target of criminal action (identifiable versus unidentifiable), and the teenage offender's race (white versus black) on discrimination. Study 3 (N = 316) re plicated Study 2 by adding belief in a just world as a moderator of discrimination. Together, the results indicate racial discrimination through a greater tolerance for police violence and support for lowering the age of criminal responsibility for crimes committed by black teenagers. Another finding was a greater support for the payment of compensation by the police to the teenage offender when crimes are committed by white teenagers. High levels of adherence to belief in a just world accentuate racial discrimination.