NCJ Number
96760
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (1985) Pages: 29-47
Date Published
1985
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this article is to compare policewomen with policemen regarding their attitudes toward handling family fights, specifically, toward handling spouse abuse.
Abstract
Sixty-two policewomen responded to aquestionnaire measuring their involvement, or professional concern about family fights. As hypothesized, police women scored significantly higher on this variable (rph = +.43). Although sample differences in education and other demographic variables accounted in part for this finding, police-officer gender correlated with involvement even when all other variables were controlled for. There was some evidence that identification with a feminist point-of-view and concern for the battered women were significant intervening variables that explained why policewomen scored higher on involvement. It was also found that policewomen and policemen differed in their perceptions of how policewomen handle family fights. Policemen tended to view policewomen as lacking assertiveness, while policewomen viewed themselves as more patient and understanding, and as less likely to escalate a conflict. The results of this study support the findings of an earlier study in which women in shelter homes described policewomen as more likely than male officers to be informative, to take time to listen, and to provide helpful information. It is suggested that the results of the current study could provide a bases for discussion among mixed groups of police officers concerning various approaches to handling family fights. (Author abstract)