NCJ Number
68117
Date Published
Unknown
Length
111 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF 554 WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS TO A QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO 320 POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES EXPLORES THE VOCATIONAL CHOICE-MAKING PROCESS OF WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE ASPIRATIONS AND THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF POLICEWOMEN.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH WOMEN POLICE ARE ESSENTIAL MEMBERS OF ALL MODERN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, LITERATURE FOCUSING UPON CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS ALMOST NONEXISTENT. THEORIES ON VOCATIONAL CHOICE, SUCH AS THOSE OF ROE, GINZBERG, SUPER, SLOCUM, AND OTHERS, DO, HOWEVER, HAVE SOME RELEVANCE TO THE VOCATIONAL CHOICE-MAKING PROCESS OF POLICEWOMEN. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS DESIGNED AROUND 14 OBJECTIVES DEALING WITH CAREER HISTORY, EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL BACKGROUNDS, PRESENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND FUTURE EXPECTATIONS. ALMOST THREE-FOURTHS OF THOSE RESPONDING WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-35. OF THESE, 85 PERCENT WERE WHITE AND 11 PERCENT WERE BLACK. MOST OF THOSE RESPONDING HAD AT LEAST 1 YEAR OF COLLEGE EDUCATION, WITH MAJORS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, OR SOCIAL SCIENCE. WOMEN POLICE WERE MOST OFTEN INFLUENCED TO CHOOSE POLICE WORK BY A DESIRE TO HELP AND PROTECT OTHERS, BY THE ASSUMPTION THAT POLICE WORK OFFERED GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, AND BY A LIFELONG DESIRE TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER. NEARLY 91 PERCENT REGARDED LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A LIFELONG CAREER, AND ALMOST AS MANY FELT THAT POLICE AGENCIES NEED MORE WOMEN. THE DATA AND COMMENTS FROM THE RESPONDENTS INDICATE THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON THE DYNAMICS OF MARRIAGE BETWEEN OFFICERS AND PEOPLE IN OTHER OCCUPATIONS AND BETWEEN TWO POLICE OFFICERS, THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF MALE OFFICERS, AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND COURSES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE, COMMENTS BY POLICE CHIEFS AND BY POLICEWOMEN, AND ABOUT 50 REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. TEN TABLES ILLUSTRATE THE DATA.