Is the blue wall of silence a fallacy in cases of police sexual misconduct?

Sweeting, Fay; Cole, Terri; Hills, Peter J.

doi:10.21428/cb6ab371.6f9aeecd

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…One report was disregarded, and the perpetrator was given a promotion. Research suggests this may be linked to an underlying bias against female officers where there are higher dismissal rates for female officers and fewer women in senior positions (Sweeting et al, 2022). Furthermore, mental health issues have been associated with weakness and perceived as stereotypically female (Lippel, 2005).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘No one likes a grass’ Female police officers’ experience of workplace sexual harassment: A qualitative study

DAVIS

Lawrence

Wilson

et al. 2023

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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Sexual harassment is multifaceted and complicated, creating a hostile environment dominated by sexually motivated behaviours. It is experienced by many, particularly in the workplace. For example, many police officers experience sexual harassment from a colleague. Despite this, sexual harassment remains under-researched, with limited exploration into victims’ experiences first-hand. As such, the current study aimed to research female police officers’ experiences of sexual harassment by colleagues to investigate risk factors of sexual harassment and barriers to reporting. Seven transcripts were collected using semi-structured interviews, both in-person and online. Despite the assurance of anonymity, officers feared coming forward for research owing to identification concerns. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used for the analysis to extract in-depth accounts from participants. Results showed that police culture contributed significantly to facilitating sexual harassment. For example, a male-dominant force, a hierarchical structure and the blue wall of silence. In addition, participants faced barriers to reporting sexual harassment. For example, a rumour mill culture and oppositional reactions from colleagues. Furthermore, the sexual harassment that the participants faced negatively affected their attitudes to work, and their physical and mental health.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are norms within police culture that contribute and facilitate aggressive behaviour. Owing to the nature of policing, officers are given a higher degree of authority than the average person (Sweeting et al, 2022). For example, the ability to use excessive force to prevent crime or to assist in arrests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%