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Racial profiling is an issue that has been witnessed for many years and is still seen increasing today. It is an affair that affects millions of citizens every day. Individuals now in our societies are scared of the police officers that swear to protect the wellbeing of all the citizens in the community. This constant fear of being targetted breaches the ability of individuals to make their own decisions and do what they desire without facing any consequences. There are a lot more restrictions and consequences for the actions of the minorities in our societies, and therefore a greater emphasis must put on this matter of contention. We need more attention on racial profiling and the use of inappropriate force because not only does it target the mental health of the victims, it decreases the level of trust in the police services, and it also infringes upon sections 12 and 15 of their Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
One of the most important consequences of racial profiling that needs to be brought to attention is the significant impact it has on a victim’s mental health. Along with affecting their mental health racial profiling also negatively influences the social development, and overall well-being of the victims (Hakim, 2016). Through conducted tests, it has been proven that “discrimination, such as the targeted killing of blacks by police, and the violence exposure, seeing videos of police killings can lead to mental health effects (Nadal, Griffin, Wong, Hamit, Rasmus, 2014). For some, it is the constant fear of being racially discriminated which leads to the occurrence of high levels of anxiety and depression (Hakim, 2016), and for others it is the lack of self-esteem that results in the health diseases (Nadal et al. 2014). The victims are diagnosed with health conditions such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and higher rates of stress (Hakim, 2016). Keeping these stakes in mind there needs to be more attention put towards this issue because it is the individual’s physical health that is being compromised because they are constantly fearful about their surroundings. As stated above, the constant occurrence of racial profiling and the use of force traumatizes the individuals leaving a lifelong harm to their mental health and the development of youth for the rest of their lives. *Tips on adding a concluding statement*
Secondly, racial profiling and the use of force leads to the lack of trust and confidence that individuals have towards all police officers. Through the research conducted by Legewie (2016), it is seen that the “leading cause of death of African Americans is homicide….. Black males were killed approximately two times a week.” When it comes to showing trust and confidence in police officers it is easier for the white respondents then it is for the minorities of the community, instead, they showed the lowest amount of trust (Tyler 2005). The increase of lack of trust amongst the minorities comes after witnessing police officers engaging in race-based harassment and racial profiling (Tyler, 2005). It is the abuse of authority by police officers that triggers the lack of trust amongst the public and also stopping them from cooperating with the police (Tyler, 2005). In an interview conducted by Hakim (2016), a young African American states, “[I] am fearful for my life. If I walk by a policeman or someone with authority, being a black man in this country, in general, is just a threat by itself. I feel scared.” This needs to be brought to light because the more the police participate in racial profiling and the more they use force, there is a decrease in the number of individuals who cooperate with them and those individuals who trust them. As stated above, constantly witnessing members of their community being negatively treated will automatically deter individuals from turning to the police because of the fear that they are going to be the next victims. *What more should I add to this, can I add more*
Lastly, there is a need for bringing more attention to racial profiling and the use of force by police officers because these actions of the police infringe sections fifteen and section twelve of the guaranteed rights from the Canadian Charter Rights of Freedoms. Section twelve of the charter guarantees individuals the “right to not be discriminated against on the basis of race, national or ethnic, origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability (Potter, 2016).” Similarly, section twelve of the charter protects Canadian citizens from the use of excessive abuse, and use of force by the members of the law (“Guides to the Canadian Charter,” 2019). As seen in the description of these sections, the act of racial profiling infringes upon section fifteen and twelve of the victim’s rights because as mentioned above when it comes to dealing with minorities, police officers tend to use a lot more force then they would when dealing with the other members of society.
To conclude, racial profiling is a reoccurring issue that needs to stop because of its impacts on the lives of the victims. It is the impact it has on their mental health, the loss of trust in the police services, and the infringement of rights, that requires an increase in the attention given to this issue. As seen above, racial profiling results in problems of social development of the victims that witness it on a regular basis. Observing racial profiling also leads to individuals avoiding interactions with police officers, and it also infringes upon the rights that the government guarantees to each of their citizens. With bringing more attention to this conflict police officers must focus more on maintaining their procedural standards so they are able to ensure that no one’s rights are infringed upon, their actions are not causing negative impact on the lives of these individuals, and with this they will be able to maintain authority and build a trust-based community.
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