Mistrust of institutions

Research has consistently shown that Black individuals, families, and communities carry a chronic mistrust of institutions, particularly those connected to the criminal justice system (Cotter, 2022; Wortley & Owusu-Bempah, 2022). Support frameworks tied to formal police reporting or criminal charges place an unreasonable burden on survivors who may choose not to engage with law enforcement due to prior experiences of racial profiling, criminalization, or institutional harm. This dynamic operates independently of immigration status: even among Black survivors who are citizens or permanent residents, fear that reporting will result in the criminalization, surveillance, or endangerment of partners, family members, or community members functions as a significant barrier to accessing services. Sharpe, Aqil, et al., (2024) found that many Black survivors of gun violence and families bereaved by homicide were unaware of their rights. As a result, many Black survivors enter victim service systems later, intermittently, or not at all, reinforcing patterns of unmet need and inequitable access to support following violence and loss.