Women only make up a small percentage of law enforcement individuals. While this is such a minute number, it may come with a valid reason. While this is not applicable to every woman, a handful may find themselves as the target of issues such as tokenism, the belief that they have obtained the prestigious title of law enforcement officer or obtaining a promotion in order to provide the force with a diverse element and have not earned their title, and prejudice for their gender. However, Kathy says to her this is not a reasonable application to what goes on in her personal work life. Kathy says that our physical geography has a heavy influence in regards to the treatment that she receives as an officer, stating that “The comments I receive
The second example presented is the issue of discrimination against female officers within law enforcement.
Female police officers have been saddled with a stigma ever since they were allowed to join the force with male officers. Female police officers performance and ability to do their job and perform well is often questioned because they are women. Female officers are not given the same respect as male officers because of their gender; however, they bring different skills and assets to the profession that male officers do not. Female officers are less likely to use force or become aggressive because they have better communication skills and empathize. However, female officers will resort to using aggressive behaviors or force when necessary. Superior officers and male patrol officers feel that women are only on the force because it is a matter of social integration and an HR requirement. They feel that this is a man’s profession, and women have no business trying to be a part of it.
There are many stereotypes that women in the law enforcement field have to face. In order to recruit more women into policing, law enforcement agencies should attempt to overcome the idea that policing is a "male-oriented profession". This paper will cover parts of the history of women police officers, some views and stereotypes of the female officer, job related issues, life outside of the workforce and job satisfaction.
In recent years, recruitment and retention of police officers has been a pain point for many departments across the nation. Odd and inflexible hours, uncompetitive pay, para-militaristic organizational structures, and a negative public perception have all worked to diminish the pool of applicants interested in careers in law enforcement. Add to the mix the sexist “brotherhood” police culture, emphasis on masculinity and aggression, and the nearly non-existent opportunities for advancement for women, and over half of the eligible workforce has been discouraged from even considering a career in law enforcement. In 2013, women comprised just over 57% of the labor force, but accounted for only 13% of sworn police officers (USDOL, 2013; Crooke, 2013). Not only are women sorely underrepresented in the field of law enforcement, but those who are employed experience discrimination at the hands of their supervisors and coworkers, and as a result, the attrition rate for women is often much higher than that of their male counterparts. Departments should pledge dedication to recruiting and retaining more female officers, as research indicates that not only do females perform just as well as males in patrol positions, but they also have a unique set of advantages to offer agencies when employed in law enforcement. In order to improve the recruitment and retention of females into policing roles, departments must determine the biggest deterrents for women who are considering the pursuit
Among police, there are stark differences between male and female officers. Cara E. Rabe-Hemp researched these sex differences by conducting a series of interviews with policewomen. These interviews reveal how policewomen cope with the seemingly impossible task to find a balance between feminine values that they were raised to uphold and masculine values that their male-dominated field demands. According to the individual perspective, employees’ performance is more shaped by their unique personal experiences as opposed to standardized formal training (Britt 185). Since neither police officers’ formal training nor their subculture reduce or eliminate the differences between policemen and policewomen, sex differences have a much more significant
Not more than two years ago, I listened to three minority female officers conversing on the difficulties of being a female officer. Though women have been accepted into police force, it has been a very slow and difficult process. What follows is a brief chronology of their struggle to become assimilated into and become an important part NYC’s “finest” – the N.Y.P.D.
Discretion is a term widely used in the law enforcement world. Law enforcement officers are faced with discretionary decisions on a daily basis. One’s gender, ethnicity, culture, or social class could be the determining factor when a police officer uses their discretionary decisions for an outcome. In this paper I will be explaining whether male and female law enforcement officers make similar discretionary decisions when it relates to citizen-police encounters. Women have been involved in law enforcement for many years. In recent years there has been an increasing trend in women in law enforcement being accepted. Discretionary decisions among men and women police officers is not an easy task to get a definitive answer to prove whether there is a difference. I would expect that women would naturally have a tougher time when it comes to decision making due to situations they may be put in based on gender and size of police-citizen encounters. Domestic violence and sexual assault cases may yield some interesting facts related to difference rather then similarities.
Qualitative research methods are used to examine the perceptions of women police regarding their career opportunities and trajectories, and their experiences with regard to the culture, practices, and policies of policing. Purposive sampling was used to identify and recruit a representative number of policewomen as study participants. Subjects completed surveys and participated in in-depth interviews. Data was analyzed through the use of constant comparative procedures, with member checks and interrater reliability scores obtained to ensure trustworthiness of the data.
Recently, there was a class action lawsuit made against the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board and the police association. There have been several cases of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination. One of the allegations included a supervisory officer texting a woman under his command asking for naked pictures. Another allegation is that a training officer commanded oral sex from his female officer. The inner workings of the police service are private and secretive. The oath of secrecy that recruits are made to take is one of the ways that prevents officers from coming forward and speaking out. Many women keep quiet to protect their carer. In the police service, rank equals power and high esteem. Uniformed women are at the near bottom
Like employment discrimination, sexual discrimination is something both male and female officers’ face in the workforce, internally and externally. However, it is the female officer that is the more common victim to this rather than their male counterpart. An example of internal sexual discrimination would be a male officer telling there counterpart that “women have no right being in part of an organization that strongly relies on men to get the job done.” This may also be known as a form of sexual harassment toward a co-worker which is unacceptable in any job. An example of external sexual discrimination would be when a female officer arrives to the scene of a crime and the victim refuses to cooperate with them because of the fact that they were expecting assistance from someone of more masculinity, like a male officer. Ethically, if any of these scenarios were to happen to either gender of law enforcement, the best thing to do once more is set aside all emotions for the time being.
This research paper consists of brief history of how female correctional officers came to be in the system and the court cases that hindered and helped their process. It also consists of the stereotypes and struggles the officers are faced with in this line of work; such as weaknesses and home life association. Sexual harassment and discrimination is a problematic topic that is unavoidable. Statistics will also be mentioned and explained throughout the paper. Being a female correctional officer is extremely difficult and is not encouraged, but it is possible.
There is also discrimination in the police force. According to Women and the Criminal Justice System, women are discriminated against when seeking a job in the police force (Wormer and Bartollas, 2007). Society and men who are already on the police force believes that women are too weak to carry out law and unable to capture criminals. This is an example of men being the dominant group over women. In society, women are known to be soft-hearted, loving, emotional and supportive. These characteristics make women look weak as a police officer. However, studies have shown that women are just as effective police
Aside from the physical aspects, most argue that another big issue with women in law enforcement is they can’t handle the emotional aspects this job brings. Most people assume that women have less of a tolerance when it comes to the
The sexual orientation of a police officer can also influence the experiences of that officer. Women with non-heterosexual orientations deal with an additional set of stereotypes, exclusion, and harassment. Galvin-White and O'Neil (2015) recently examined how lesbian police officers negotiate their identities and relationships in the workplace. As they note, lesbian police officers must negotiate an identity that is "invisible" in that it is not necessarily detected by sight. Therefore, it is largely up to the individual to decide whether or not they come out to her colleagues. Many decide not to come out due to the stigmas surrounding LGBT identities, which may manifest themselves through discriminatory hiring processes and promotions. Galvin-White
Examining the lives of women detective’s outsiders will begin to see they do not live no average life of a female. Women detectives encounter multiple situations on the job that makes them unable to “have it all”. Men typically downplay females thinking they are unable to be detectives as well. Whether a female is a private detective, a private investigator or a sergeant their life changes dramatically. Women that decide to be detectives cannot do what other females do because their jobs require a different amount of work and attention.