Introduction
Police women are often viewed by the general public as women in badges and not as police officers like their male counterparts (Shannon, 2016). This is where the discrimination of female police officers is birthed which then trickles down to their colleagues (Marshall, 2013). According to Kipling (2007), a typical female police officer is physically generally weaker compared to the male which is a challenge when they handle some of the tasks comfortably handled by the males. Past literature including those of Russel (2014) and Nash (2016) provide proof that for this reason, they are mostly given minor, light or non-risky duties as compared to the male officers. In line with this, it is evident that most of the challenges faced
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Moreover, the great depression and World War 2 created more avenues for women to compete for more male dominated jobs, as much as the males were. Novak, brown and Frank (2011) also add that this has even brought about more promotions to them and even some breaking the glass ceiling to occupy higher ranks. With time, the police departments have appreciated the gifts and abilities that have been brought by women like empathy and a less confrontational approach in stressful situations (Natarajan, 2016). They are even seen as a better complement to the male officers which is an advantage to …show more content…
This is where unsolicited sexual or obscene remarks are made by the person of the opposite gender, be it sexual remarks, sexual advances or physical conduct of any sexual form. A study conducted by de has, Timmerman and Hoing (2009) found out that females are more prone to this kind of harassment and the males are the more likely perpetrators of these. This may be, at times, dismissed as flattering rather that sexual harassment (Hassel, Archbold and Stichman, 2011). Additionally, the fact that there are more males in the top management keeps back the female officers from reporting of such cases (Samson et al). For the less intimidated, like the case of a Brandi Courtesis – a female police officer from Gettysburg who placed sexual harassment charges against a department officer who she claims has been harassing her and seeking more than $100000 for damages (Jon,
We will likely see even more changes in the near future due to the many proposals to increase the number of women and ethnic minority officers in our police forces. An example of near change is the use of a hiring quota system. Under this system there is a requirement to recruit a specified number of minority and/or women officers. This may require the modification of standards and qualifications that could discriminate against these groups in order to achieve the required quota. Although this is a future option, we can see its methods are already being implemented in the past decades abolishment of height, weight, and age restrictions.
Women police officers face many stressors. Female officers are more likely to encounter disapproval from fellow officers, and also from friends and family for entering police work. On the other hand, the peers, supervisors, and the public questions female officers’ capability to tackle the emotional and physical rigors of the police work, and this is even when research shows women can do so. As such, the need for female officers to prove themselves to the public and the male officers constitutes some major stressor for women officers. In essence, female police officers do suffer quite more from the stress of their jobs than their male colleagues.
When the criminal justice system was established, the main objective was to create neutrality and fairness between the sexes. Even though people might believe that there is no such thing as ‘stereotyping’ in the criminal justice system, it is quite obvious that women are constantly being look down upon because of their sex. In general, women tend to be treated like fragile objects that could break at any moment; the truth is that women can be strong and courageous just like men. Society stereotypes women and the criminal justice system is no different.
Historically, criminology was significantly ‘gender-blind’ with men constituting the majority of criminal offenders, criminal justice practitioners and criminologists to understand ‘male crimes’ (Carraine, Cox, South, Fussey, Turton, Theil & Hobbs, 2012). Consequently, women’s criminality was a greatly neglected area and women were typically seen as non-criminal. Although when women did commit crimes they were medicalised and pathologised, and sent to mental institutions not prisons (Carraine et al., 2012). Although women today are treated differently to how they were in the past, women still do get treated differently in the criminal justice system. Drawing upon social control theory, this essay argues that nature and extent of discrimination
This is one of the most important questions women face in the criminal justice system, especially female patrol police officers. Male are regarded as strong, dominant, and can stand their ground, while females are considered weak, fragile, and their main problem is the physical disadvantage they faced when attacked by someone superior to them. Also do male police officers trust female officers when it comes to their safety. Research done at the LAPD suggests the male police officers do not trust women when it comes to law enforcement. “ I would never trust my life or safety to a female patrol officer- let alone my partner who is a woman.” The stereotypes female police officers face are usually from their male co-workers who think that the job is a man’s job and requires masculinity. In this case, male police officers feel threatened and demeaned because of the fact that a woman can do the same job as them. Other obstacles female police officers face is that because law enforcement is a male dominant job, many thing that female police officers should not seek employment because they are emotional, physically weak, not aggressive enough, naïve, and they do not have the ability to gain respect from society, especially from the male audience. Female police officers usually face internal obstacles when trying to get a job promotion through the ranks. These obstacles include
Women in Law Enforcement There are many stereotypes that women in the law enforcement field have to face. In order to recruit more women into policing, law enforcement agencies should attempt to overcome the idea that policing is a "male-oriented profession". This paper will cover parts of the history of women police officers, some views and stereotypes of the female officer, job related issues, life outside of the workforce and job satisfaction. It used to be that only nursing, teaching, and clerical positions were open to women. A small number of women worked as correctional officers and their assignments were usually limited to peripheral tasks.
A police officer is a law enforcement official whose job is to protect and serve all people, not to ignore racial equality. Because the U.S consists of many different races and ethnic groups, the ongoing conflict between police officers and citizens of color is constantly rising. Although police officers today are no longer allowed to have racial bias, which can be described as, attitudes or stereotype used against individuals of color to define their actions and decisions, officers sometimes abuse their authority going around racial impact tools and policies. This results in citizens viewing it as discrimination and mass criminalization. By changing the way laws and regulations unfairly impact Black and Brown communities can improve the justice
In this essay, I will investigate and describe a cultural group in my desired field. I will provide details from an interview with a professional person in my field of interest. Gender inequality is still a big issue in law enforcement. Women make up a small percentage in the world of law enforcement. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there are only thirteen percent of women working in law enforcement in the United States and only five percent are African American (Criminal Justice School Info, 2014). The New York City Police Department hired the first female officers in 1845 and they were called “matrons” (Felperin, 2004). Over twenty years of extensive research has shown that female officers possess a unique style of policing in which they rely more on their interpersonal skills rather than physical strength or force to talk a person down from a violent situation (National Center for Women & Policing, 2013).
Since the time women were eligible to be an employee of a workplace, they have become victims of discrimination. Discrimination is the practice of treating a person or group of people differently from other people (Webster, 2013). Thousands of women have suffered from discrimination in workplaces because they are pregnant, disabled, or of the opposite sex. It is crazy to think that someone would fire a woman because she became pregnant and needed to have some work adjustments ("Pregnancy and parenting,"). A woman goes through a lot to give birth to children, and men will never understand the complications a mother encounters during the pregnancy. Sadly, males think that pregnant women don’t make a working hand, which is totally wrong.
The number of women in the civilian labor force jumped from 23 million in the
Although some of the worst employment discrimination was eliminated by the Civil Rights Act in 1964, many women continue to undergo unfair and unlawful discrimination in the workplace. Even though women have come a long way, they are still being discriminated against in certain fields of work. High-end jobs, most commonly large companies and medical fields, continue to discriminate against women even though they have the same job qualifications as men.
Alice Stebbins Wells was the first female police officer hired by the Los Angeles police department in 1910 (Walker & Katz, 2005). In the early years of women police officers women were hired as social workers for juveniles, as matrons, dispatchers, and to help guard female inmates.
Sexual Harassment/Assault is a growing issue in the U.S. In this paper, I will highlight the meaning of sexual harassment, some of the signs, behavior theories, and concepts of being sexually harassed. The history of sexual harassment dates back to slave days when it didn’t really have a meaning or name, but women activists were protesting against it. I will explore the statistics of sexual harassment and how it occurs more commonly in women. Also, I will share my personal experiences as a teenager dealing with my sister being sexually harassed at her first job.
Sexual harassment can happen in the form of belittling remarks regarding specific gender.... ... middle of paper ... ... To conclude, sexual harassment is a tremendously huge issue that should be taken seriously.
In today’s workplace, sexual harassment is a growing problem. The legal definition of sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Another definition is the making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position. Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, races and experience are harassed on the job. Sexual harassment encountered in workplaces is a hazard across the world that reduces the quality of working life, jeopardizes the well-being of women and men, undermines gender equality and imposes costs on firms and organizations.