In this article I will discuss police brutality, which is a very controversial topic in the media. The social psychology topics I will discuss in relation to the event are cognitive dissonance/self-justification (Ch. 5) and privilege (Ch. 8). My news sources are from NBC Philadelphia and CNN. Social psychology mentions that when a person is in a situation where their behavior is inconsistent with their beliefs, a process called cognitive dissonance occurs. The person will try to justify the reasoning behind their behavior and self-justification will occur. For example, here are two contradictory thoughts: "smoking will lead to a shorter life" and "I smoke four packs a day." To justify this, a person will say: “I consider myself a fairly healthy person because I walk every day. » As a result, this person feels better while smoking and reduces their overall discomfort. A recent case addresses the theme of cognitive dissonance/self-justification. Two Philadelphia police officers beat a man in May 2013. The officers were charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy. The victim was Najee Rivera and he was riding his scooter. The police tried to stop him for a traffic violation. Rivera fled from the police because he was afraid. The officers eventually caught up with Rivera, took him off his scooter and beat him severely. Rivera had a broken eye socket and gashes that required staples. After the incident, the police officers justified themselves by saying that they believed Rivera was a drug dealer and that Rivera had attacked them. The officers therefore protected themselves by using force. Rivera was charged with assault, resisting arrest and other offenses. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office expelled Rivera...... middle of paper ....... It would certainly be difficult to find a time for all of us to get together (outside of class) since we are leaving at school, work, family responsibilities, etc. As a group, we agree that police brutality is a hot topic right now and is constantly in the media. This is something that needs to be addressed and resolved. We shared similar views on why police brutality is a problem. It's primarily about addressing how racism is institutionalized in our society and how we have a skewed view of those who are not white. Racism has existed for hundreds of years and it still exists, individuals of a different race still do it. feel threatened if they enter a grocery store and are closely monitored. Or, an individual will feel disadvantaged when applying to a college with primarily white students. Let's hope that in a few years things will change.