NCJ Number
104193
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1986) Pages: 320-327
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article examines male and female officers' personal reasons for entering policing and their perceptions about why other males and females enter policing.
Abstract
Twenty female officers and 34 male officers from two municipal police agencies in a Midwestern State were administered a questionnaire that used a Likert scale for officers to express their degree of agreement with statements regarding their personal motives for entering policing and their perceptions as to why other men and women enter policing. Both the male and female officers had similar personal reasons for entering policing, i.e., to serve others and obtain job security. Both male and female officers perceived that women enter policing to serve others, but both male and female officers perceived that men enter policing for other motives. Male officers perceived that men enter policing primarily to take on the authoritative and masculine image of the police officer, and female officers perceived that men enter policing to fulfill the 'tough' or 'Dirty Harry' image of the police officer. These findings counter the popular view that male officers do not correctly understand why women enter policing. The women officers, on the other hand, had misconceptions about why men enter policing. 4 tables and 9 references.