Share on Facebook Pinterest Share Email New research provides evidence that the psychological impact of racial incidents is related to White racial identity. The study suggests that those with a non-racist White identity tend to brush off negative race‐based experiences, while those who embrace supremacist attitudes or deny the significance of race are more likely to report distress.The findings appear in the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development.“As a Professor of Psychology, I study the psychological impact of racism on Black Americans and other people of Color. In some instances, experiences of racism can be so stressful that they meet criteria for traumatic stress or trauma,” explained study author Veronica E. Johnson, an assistant professor at City University of New York.
“The impact of these experiences can be extremely harmful leading to intrusive thoughts about the incident (e.g., nightmares, flashbacks), avoidance (i.e., people and places that remind you of the incident), and hypervigilance, among other symptoms. I, along with my colleagues, were interested in this topic because we know that White American people make claims that they experience stressful racial incidents (e.g., reverse racism) but were unsure if the extent of the psychological impact of these incidents met the criteria for racial trauma.”In the study, 145 White adults completed a psychological assessment known as the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale. The participants were asked to describe three of the most memorable experiences of racism that had occurred in their lives. They then selected the one event that was the most memorable, and answered a series of yes/no questions about its impact.The most commonly cited events among the participants involved race-based verbal assaults — such as being called a “cracker.” The second most common event was experiencing racism vicariously.“We generally found that White Americans did not experience racial trauma. When Whites did report negative racial incidents, they tended to be vicarious experiences, where they were not the intended targets, such as witnessing a person of color experience racism, or violating racial rules (e.g., ‘Getting lost in a Black neighborhood and being told I was in the wrong area.’) These incidents rarely had a significant and adverse impact on psychological functioning. When racial incidents were psychologically impactful, they resulted in increased anger and hypervigilance,” Johnson told PsyPost. The participants in the study also completed the White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale, which examines how Whites understand racial relations and how they incorporate race into their self-concepts.“For the small number of White Americans who did report symptoms of racial trauma, they were also found to hold beliefs of White racial superiority and were generally naïve to systemic racism and White privilege. Therefore, it appears the White Americans most likely to complain of harm from racism, simply know little to nothing about it. Further, it may be that a belief in White racial superiority makes one particularly susceptible to White fragility, or expectations for comfort in cross-racial interactions and low tolerance for race-based stress,” Johnson explained.“Understanding the way in which a White American thinks about race is important. White Americans who endorse racial trauma do not have a complex understanding of race in the U.S. and thus may erroneously equate their racial experiences with psychological harm. However, White Americans with a complex understanding of race, appear to understand that racial discrimination, while uncomfortable for them, is not connected to harmful and dangerous consequences (e.g., being murdered by police, being fired from one’s job, etc.) like it is for Americans of color.”The study, “Race‐Based Stress in White Adults: Exploring the Role of White Racial Identity Status Attitudes and Type of Racial Events“, was authored by Robert T. Carter, Katheryn Roberson, and Veronica E. Johnson. LinkedIn Share on Twitter
White Americans with supremacist beliefs are more likely to report symptoms of racial trauma
November 19, 2020
Bolton-based Asons Solicitors, the personal injury firm at the centre of a row over a £300,000 local authority grant, has agreed to pay insurance giant AXA £113,000 to settle a dispute over costs, it emerged today. According to AXA, Asons has admitted that it ‘falsely and systematically’ exaggerated its claim for costs in 65 PI cases and has agreed to pay the insurer £70,000 plus interest and around £40,000 in legal costs. The dispute with AXA came to light in July 2015 following a case in Manchester County Court, in which Asons charged for fee-earner with more than six years of litigation experience when the solicitor in question had only two. Asons said this was an administrative error. AXA said it was then prompted to review around 65 other cost claims in personal injury cases involving Asons. In the cases, settled between September 2013 and December 2014, Asons allegedly ‘overstated the qualifications and experience of its legal staff to inflate bills sent to AXA’.The firm, which denies acting fraudulently, has also agreed to pay around £40,000 in legal costs, AXA said.A spokesperson for Asons said in a statement: ‘We take matters like this very seriously. Following a complaint by AXA, an internal investigation was immediately undertaken. We reported the matter to our regulator and any overpayments were returned. New procedures were instigated and we are satisfied that there has been no recurrence of the historical issues raised by AXA.’The announcement of the settlement is likely to be used by insurers in their campaign for more curbs on the claimant sector. Gian Luigi Di Franco, claims manager at AXA, said: ‘This is just the kind of behaviour that the insurance industry has been highlighting for years now, behaviour that is fuelling a compensation culture across the country.’He alleged: ‘This was a systematic attempt to secure funds that Asons ought to have known they were not entitled to. We hope and expect that this victory sends a strong message to those in the claimant lawyer fraternity who would undermine the reputation of and trust in their profession purely in the pursuit of money.’Asons has been in the news extensively over the past few months after it was handed a £300,000 grant by Bolton Council last year. The money was made under the council’s emergency powers procedure for Asons to refurbish new offices in Bolton’s Churchgate area.However, the Gazette subsequently revealed that the firm was also locked in dispute with the taxman over a demand for £300,000. The dispute was disclosed in the notes to Asons’ 2015 accounts, which also showed that the firm lost more than £1m in the year to May 2015.There is no evidence linking the grant with the £300,000 dispute.An SRA spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of the situation and are gathering all relevant information before deciding on appropriate action.’
Sir Cliff Richard has won a privacy case against the BBC over its ‘somewhat sensationalist’ coverage of a police raid of his home. The entertainer was awarded £210,000 in damages in a High Court ruling this morning.Richard, who sued both the BBC and South Yorkshire Police, claimed the BBC’s reporting of the 2014 raid was a ’serious invasion’ of privacy. He was never arrested or charged over the alleged offences.Handing down his judgment in Sir Cliff Richard v BBC and South Yorkshire Police, Mr Justice Mann said: ‘I have found that this was a serious infringement of Sir Cliff’s privacy rights, in terms of what was disclosed, in terms of the manner of disclosure and in terms of the effect on Sir Cliff.’Mann found that ‘Sir Cliff had privacy rights in respect of the police investigation and the BBC infringed those rights without a legal justification.’Richard sued SYP for breach of privacy and under the Data Protection Act 1998 after the police disclosed that he was under investigation and the date, time and place of an intended search of his home. Before the trial SYP had already admitted liability and agreed to pay £400,000 in damages plus costs. He sued the BBC on the same grounds for publicly disclosing the facts and covering the search in various broadcasts.The case revolved around subsequent dealings between the BBC and SYP. The BBC claimed the police volunteered the information whereas Richard claimed SYP was ‘manoeuvred into providing it’ from a fear and implicit threat that the BBC would or might publish news of the investigation before the police were ready to conduct their search.‘As my judgment reflects, I have accepted the SYP/Cliff Richard case on this point, and rejected the BBC’s case,’ Mann wrote. He added: ‘I find that Sir Cliff had privacy rights in respect of the police investigation and that the BBC infringed those rights without a legal justification. It did so in a serious way and also in a somewhat sensationalist way.’Nicola Cain, partner at RPC, warned that the media will now have to ‘walk on eggshells’ when reporting on police investigations.She added: ‘The judge found that even if an investigation involves public activity, and reporting on it is in the public interest, an individual can still have a reasonable expectation of privacy in not being identified. This goes against several previous decisions which recognised the importance to the media of identifying individuals in coverage.’Emma Woollcott, head of reputation protection at City firm Mishcon de Reya, said the case may spark future challenges from high-profile individuals who have been subjected to similar ’sensationalised’ news reports.David Malone, human rights and criminal barrister at Red Lion Chambers, said the case has potentially huge, and perhaps constitutional, implications for the investigation of cases of abuse alleged to have been committed by those in positions of power and influence.Malone said: ‘Parliament despite frequent debate, research and opportunity to do so – including most recently a Private Member’s Bill in June 2010 – has not legislated upon this specific issue i[the anonymity of suspects before charge].‘It is important that, in appropriate cases in the future, the police are not cowed by this judgment, and do still at the very least consider reporting the name of an individual, when that action may enable other victims to come forward to strengthen the case against that individual.’Fran Unsworth, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, confirmed it was considering an appeal.’This judgment creates new case law and represents a dramatic shift against press freedom and the long-standing ability of journalists to report on police investigations, which in some cases has led to further complainants coming forward,’ Unsworth said.’This isn’t just about reporting on individuals. It means police investigations, and searches of people’s homes, could go unreported and unscrutinised. It will make it harder to scrutinise the conduct of the police and we fear it will undermine the wider principle of the public’s right to know. It will put decision-making in the hands of the police.’In his judgment, Mr Justice Mann acknowledged that the case could have a significant impact on press reporting, but not one requiring a change in the law. ‘The fact is that there is legislative authority restraining the press in the form of the Human Rights Act, and that is what the courts apply in this area… If the position of the press is now different from that which it has been in the past, that is because of the Human Rights Act, and not because of some court-created principle.’
MIDWAY — When it comes to this year’s Utah State Amateur, you just can’t keep these Summerhays kids out of the news.The two teenagers were the big stories before the tournament ever began and were again Tuesday at Soldier Hollow Golf Course. Grace Summerhays, celebrating her 15th birthday, qualified for the 64-golfer match play, while 16-year-old Preston Summerhays, the defending State Amateur champion, just missed his goal of being the medalist when his putt on the final hole slid past the hole.Colton Tanner, a University of Utah golfer, who has lived in various parts of the country but now resides in Park CIty, won medalist honors, shooting a 69 Tuesday to go with his first-round 67 and edge Preston Summerhays by one shot.Preston Summerhays acknowledged that he was disappointed not to win medalist honors, saying that was one of his goals going into the week.“It’s not super important, but the No. 1 goal is to get to match play,” said Summerhays, who ended up with the No. 2 seed. “I am a little bit (disappointed), but I’ll be fine.”Preston tees off at 9:50 a.m. and will face Patrick Horstmann of Midvale, who was one of nine survivors of a sudden-death playoff for the final match play spots late in the evening.He had a chance to at least tie for medalist honors as he was 8-under for the tournament going into his last hole. He hit a 3-wood off the tee, trying to get a level lie for his second shot, but instead he “roasted it” too far and ended up with a tricky downhill lie. His next shot hit the bunker and he couldn’t make his 15-footer coming back.Grace Summerhays shot a 74 on the Silver Course Monday and needed a similar score on the more difficult Gold Course Tuesday to make match play. She parred her first eight holes and a birdie on No. 9 gave her “confidence” for the back nine, where a birdie at her 17th hole after a couple of bogeys gave her a 72 and a 146 total.“It feels great, my goal was to make match play,” she said. “I knew I could for sure, had to play well obviously, I felt confident going into today.”She thought she was the first female to make it into match play, but Annie Thurman was actually the first to accomplish the feat, back in 2004 at Jeremy Ranch when it was a 156-player field with 32 match-play spots instead of the current 288-golfer field with 64 match-play spots.Grace Summerhays will play Brennan Coburn, a Utah State golfer who played prep golf at Layton High School. Coburn had the same score, a 146 with two rounds of 73.Preston Summerhays believes his sister will do well in match play.“I’m so excited for her, I knew she could do it,” he said. “Her game is great and she’ll do really well in match play. Her game is well-rounded. Whoever plays her is going to have a tremendous amount of pressure on them.”Before the tournament, Preston and Grace said it would be “awesome” to play each other in match play since they play together almost every day anyway. The way the brackets are situated, they would each have to win four matches before they would meet in the semifinals.The best round of the day belonged to Cole Ponich, who fired a 6-under-par 66 on the Gold Course and finished in third place at 139. Ponich, who will be a freshman at BYU in the fall, might have tied for medalist honors except for a triple bogey on his 15th hole the day before. He’s matched up with former professional Tommy Johnson at 11:30 a.m.At the conclusion of play Tuesday, 12 golfers who came in at 5-over-par 149 had to go into a sudden-death playoff to determine the final nine spots. The nine players who survived were Greg Slack, Brett Garner, Zane Brownrigg, Cooper Jones, Aaron Smith, Patrick Horstmann, Christopher Romney, Kurt Owen and Tommy Johnson. The three who were eliminated were Alex Smith, Bob Mitchell and Bryan Dalton.136 — Colton Tanner (67-69)137 — Preston Summerhays (67-70)139 — Cole Ponich (73-66)140 — Colton Dallimore (72-68)141 — Denny Job (72-69), Cameron Tucker (72-69), Zach Jones (71-70), Mitchell Schow (73-68)142 — Nathan Ouimette (65-77), Masen Ward (71-71), Brigham Gibbs (68-74)143 — Kelton Hirsch (71-72), Tanner Telford (73-70), Chase Lansford (75-68), Christopher Cheney (71-72), Carl Jensen (72-71)144 — Triston Gardner (73-71), Dan Horner (72-72), Reed Nielsen (70-74), Cole Ogden (71-73)145 — Jake Vincent (74-71), Alec Williams (71-74), Joshua Pehrson (74-71), Peyton Hastings (68-77), Ryan Barber (75-70), Spencer Dunaway (72-73), Thomas Young (73-72), Braydon Swapp (76-69)146 — Boston Watts (77-69), Ryan Brimley (75-71), Dylan Chugg (74-72), Spencer Wallace (78-68), Kyler Dearden (70-76) Brennan Coburn (73-73), Ryan Seamons (73-73), Blake Murray (72-74), Grace Summerhays (74-72)147 — Jayce Frampton (77-70), Nick Becker (73-74), John Owen (74-73), Steven Croft (75-72), Hunter Howe (74-73), Derek Penman (72-75), Andrew Cottle (73-74), Joshua Lansky (71-76), Clay Bingham (75-72), John Reid (74-73), Kyle Tueller (74-73), Cole Wecker (73-74), Michael Branca (76-71)148 — Elijah Turner (73-75), Tanner Alder (73-75), Paul Cannon (73-75), Clark Jones (71-77), Noah Schone (77-71)149 — Tommy Johnson (71-78), Aaron Smith (73-76), Alex Smith (73-76), Patrick Hosrtmann (73-76), Zane Brownrigg (75-74), Kurt Owen (69-80), Bob Mitchell (74-75), Bryan Dalton (73-76), Christopher Romney (73-76), Brett Garner (73-76), Cooper Jones (77-72), Greg Slack (74-75)150 — Brady Bigler (74-76), Tanner Taft (77-73), Helaman Ofahengaue (80-70), Patrick Murphy (78-72), Jason Hargett (74-76), Logan Skaika (76-74), Tyler Labrum (73-77), Christian James (75-75), Eric Loveland (77-73), Ben Jorgensen (80-70), Lane Deason (71-79), Joshua Savage (71-79)First-round matches Wednesday7:30 a.m. — Colton Tanner vs. Greg Slack7:40 a.m, — Kyler Searden vs. Ryan Brimley7:50 a.m. — Chase Lansford vs. Michael Branca8:00 a.m. — Cole Ogden vs. Nick Becker8:10 a.m. — Mitchell Schow vs. Brett Garner8:20 a.m. — Alec Williams vs. Jayce Frampton8:30 a.m. — Brigham Gibbs vs. Zane Brownrigg8:40 a.m. — Thomas Young vs. Andrew Cottle8:50 a.m. — Colton Dallimore vs. Cooper Jones9:00 a.m. — Dylan Chugg vs. Blake Murray9:10 a.m. — Kelton Hirsch vs. Noah Schone9:20 a.m. — Triston Gardner vs. Steven Croft9:30 a.m. — Denny Job vs. Aaron Smith9:40 a.m. — Peyton Hastings vs. Spencer Wallace9:50 a.m. — Christopher Cheney vs. Paul Cannon10:00 a.m. — Spencer Dunaway vs. Joshua Lansky10:10 a.m. — Preston Summerhays vs. Patrick Horstmann10:20 a.m. — Ryan Seamons vs. Boston Watts10:30 a.m. — Carl Jensen vs. John Owen10:40 a.m. — Reed Nielsen vs. Hunter Howe10:50 a.m. — Zach Jones vs. Christopher Romney11:00 a.m. — Braydon Swapp vs. Clay Bingham11:10 a.m. — Masen Ward vs. Clark Jones11:20 a.m. — Jake Vincent vs. Cole Wecker11:30 a.m. — Cole Ponich vs. Tommy Johnson11:40 a.m. — Brennan Coburn vs. Grace Summerhays11:50 a.m. — Tanner Telford vs. Elijah Turner12:00 p.m. — Dan Horner vs. Kyle Tueller12:10 p.m. — Cameron Tucker vs. Kurt Owen12:20 p.m. — Joshua Pehrson vs. Derek Penman12:30 p.m. — Nathan Ouimette vs. Tanner Alder12:40 p.m. — Ryan Barber vs. John Reid