All female police trainees who completed their basic police training at the Slovenian Police Training Center in 1995 and 1996 were asked to participate in the study. There were 27 female trainees who completed their basic training in those years, all of whom agreed to participate in the study. Various scales measured beliefs about police, police cynicism, encouragement and support, the quality of experience during training, femininity, self-esteem, and reasons for joining the police. Findings show that the women joined the Slovenian Police primarily because they perceived policing to be a diverse occupation that provides opportunities for both helping people and interacting with them, as well as for their personal growth (further education and promotion). Although at the end of their basic training, the female trainees believed that police in Slovenia were a disrespected and bureaucratic organization, they also believed that it was an approachable, helpful, public, professional, effective, and responsible enterprise. These beliefs reflected the trainees' police cynicism, the level of support and encouragement from their important others, as well as the level of their femininity. The trainees higher in femininity, lower in police cynicism, and higher in support from their important others had more positive beliefs about the police. The trainees' level of cynicism was influenced by their self-esteem and the quality of their experience during the basic police training. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that to attract more women into policing, the recruiting efforts must emphasize the diversity and social dimensions of police work, as well as the opportunity for personal growth. The organization must also provide for exposure to positive personal experiences with the police organization and police officers. The training must be tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of female trainees, and psychological counseling should be offered to trainees that lack encouragement and support from their important others. 4 tables and 1 figure
Reasons for Joining and Beliefs About Police Among Slovenian Female Rookies (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Comparing Firsthand Knowledge With Experience From the West, P 641-651, 1996, Milan Pagon, ed. -- See NCJ-170291)
NCJ Number
170347
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on findings from a survey of Slovenian female police rookies regarding their reasons for entering policing and their beliefs about policing.
Abstract