NCJ Number
133722
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 53 Issue: 7 Dated: (December 1991) Pages: 136,138
Date Published
1991
Length
2 pages
Annotation
As more women enter the field of corrections, it is important that male and female corrections officers understand some of the ways in which their perceptions are colored by gender.
Abstract
For example, research has shown that men see danger in proximity, while women see danger in isolation. Male and female officers perceive their role as protectors differently, too. Male and female correctional officers often approach duties, including counseling inmates, from opposite directions. Because these discrepancies in perception can lead to workplace problems including sexual harassment, they need to be brought out into the open. In order to avoid divisive situations, all employees should learn to recognize that each individual brings his or her own talents to the workplace, to focus on the quality of the workplace, and to view maleness and femaleness as concepts and points on a gender continuum.