The Additive Labor of Survival: A Scoping Review of Black Familial Strategization in Preparation for Police Interactions

Abstract

Black American families are aware of the precarious nature of police interactions. Black people are disproportionately killed by the police at such levels that police violence is now categorized as a public health issue among the Black population. Black children and youth are not exempt from police violence and tend to be adultified or perceived as older than their biological age. In recognition of police violence, Black families engage in a context-specific socialization process, commonly referred to as “the Talk” to adequately prepare their children for potential police interactions. To explore this socialization process, we conducted a scoping review summarizing the existing literature to provide further insight into the content of this process, with a key focus on identifying the strategies that Black parents in the United States employ to insulate their children from harm. The review utilizes Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping studies. We searched five databases using a literature-informed search strategy, which resulted in the identification of 7736 records, of which 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings of this review show that strategies used by Black parents emerged in four types: regulatory, consciousness raising, system-engaged, and beyond our control. Parental strategies focused on behavioral regulation, racial consciousness education, engagement and collaboration with systems, and reliance on faith and other-worldly protection. Implications for policy and practice call for the acknowledgment of additive labor performed by Black families, and the necessary provision of support and services that address the harm caused by discriminatory policing.