NCJ Number
60740
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 33-40
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
MALES STILL EXHIBIT NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT WOMEN ON POLICE PATROL REGARDLESS OF THE INCREASED EXPOSURE TO FEMALE OFFICERS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY EXPLORES THE DEGREE TO WHICH CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS HAVE ACCEPTED THE IDEA OF WOMEN IN POLICING. A SAMPLE OF 116 MALE AND FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS INDICATED THE EXTENT OF THEIR AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH INTERVIEW STATEMENTS GIVEN BY POLICE OFFICERS CONCERNING WOMEN IN POLICING. A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE ATTITUDE ITEMS YIELDED FOUR MAJOR FACTORS WHICH TOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR 75 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCES. FACTOR 1--THE ROLE OF FEMALES IN PATROL SHOULD BE LIMITED--WAS THE MOST POWERFUL, ACCOUNTING FOR 48 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VARIANCE. OTHER FACTORS WERE EQUALITY (WOMEN SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE MEN); TRAIT ADVANTAGE (WOMEN POSSESS CERTAIN TRAITS WHICH UNIQUELY SUIT THEM FOR POLICING); AND ANTI-FEMALE (WOMEN HAVE NO PLACE IN POLICING). MALES AND FEMALES DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY ON THEIR RESPONSES TO THE FOUR FACTORS. MALES STILL VIEW PATROL WORK AS ESSENTIALLY A MASCULINE AND PHYSICAL TASK FOR WHICH WOMEN ARE ILL SUITED AND REJECT STRONGLY THE SOCIAL WORK IMAGE OF POLICING. THEY SEE WOMEN AS MORE SUITED FOR HANDLING JUVENILES CASES AND FOR DOING OFFICE WORK. FEMALES, HOWEVER, FELT THAT THEY POSSESSED CERTAIN TRAITS WHICH UNIQUELY SUITED THEM FOR PATROL WORK. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT MALES AND FEMALES ARE STILL POLARIZED IN THEIR ATTITUDES ABOUT WOMEN IN POLICING. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)