Roles Of Women In Criminal Justice Essay

Women in the criminal justice system was an idea that was virtually unheard of before almost 200 years ago. During this time, society established that men were to be the breadwinners, and that women were to take care of the children and the home. When women expressed the desire to get out into the workforce, there was some backlash resulting from the notion. However, when they showed interest in getting involved with the police department, most men immediately took offense. They used methods such as legislation and covert discrimination to try and dissuade women from policing and keep them in their traditional roles as wives and mothers. Despite their efforts, women have grown to become vital members in the criminal justice system today. Proving their male counterparts wrong, women held on to the concept that they could be valuable in other ways and become hard-working police officers who protect and serve their communities on the frontlines.

The media has sensationalized police work, making it one of the most popular topics to script. Hundreds of shows attempt to

give an inside look at the kind of situations that police officers deal with on a daily basis. Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit is one of those shows. With the benefit of being one of the longest running shows on television (for 28 years), topics from child abuse and neglect to LGBTQUIA domestic violence have been discussed in depth. These subjects once considered taboo were brought out into the forefront of America’s minds once the shows aired. I chose Law and Order because it has sentimental value to me. Ever since I was a young child, I knew that I wanted to somehow be apart of the criminal justice system. At first it was a police officer, and then it was a lawyer. My dreams have changed since then, but I never forgot how the women in these shows essentially became positive role models overnight. Lieutenant Olivia Benson, the main character in the show, is strong, independent, level-headed, and dead set on always finding the truth to any given scenario. Attorney Casey Novak, one of the many attorneys in the Special Victim’s Unit, exemplified a no-nonsense attitude that helped her win cases on several occasions. Despite her tough demeanor, she displayed a fondness for children and fought hard for them to get justice when they were wronged. Although they are fictional characters, these women gave me someone to look up to, and helped me to solidify the kind of character traits that I would need to have in order to be successful in the criminal justice field.
Season 18 of Law and Order brought a new set of challenges for Olivia Benson, as this is the season where she became a full-time mother of an adopted child.

She adopted young Noah when he was barely a year old and saved him from a violent father who had killed his mother in a vengeful rage. Episode 8 brings everything full circle as she has to help solve a missing child case with her team. In the episode, Benson investigates the abduction of a six-year-old boy who is the son of two wealthy lesbian women (Quote). She is successful, but cannot neglect the fact that she is now dealing with her own perceptions of how difficult it can be to mother a child and be a police officer. The long shifts and consistent worrying would take a toll on any individual, but especially one in this profession. Even still, she treasures being a mother and manages to find a work-life balance in the midst of all the

chaos.
Benson is depicted as a woman who has been successful in her career and is recognized as a pivotal member of the New York City Police Department. Rarely does she have to deal with sexism or any other form of discrimination from fellow male police officers, and she becomes Lieutenant within a reasonable time span. She does not deal with sexual harassment at her workplace, nor does she experience any forms of animosity from her fellow employees while she is on the job. They trust and respect her judgment and do not question her commands. In this squad, officers are awarded assignments based on merit and not favoritism, and they all work together to ensure the safety of the citizens of New York City. In actuality, this is the case in only a select few precincts in the United States. Dick Wolf, the creator of the show, wrote Benson up through the ranks of the police department and eventually gave her the Lieutenant title. Unfortunately, women are not promoted to such high esteemed positions often, and certainly not as often as men. There are several reasons as to why this may be true, but the main one is most likely that women are overlooked for these positions because they are in fact women. Therefore, “more competent” and “able” males are needed to fill them.
Despite the rising number of women police officers, there is a substantial amount of people in the world who still believe that policing is not a woman’s job. Popular sentiment for most male officers is that women should remain in jobs that fulfill their traditional roles as submissive individuals and nurturers (wives, mothers, teachers, nurses, etc.). Male police officers often times are wary of having a female back them up in dangerous situations, because it is implied that she is not strong enough to handle stressful situations or be successful when put in the line of fire. This notion is exemplified in the quote, “Given that policemen did not trust the ability of female officers to perform police duties, the resultant resistance to women integrating into the male culture comes at little surprise” (Quote-Survival). These perceptions of women’s abilities are untrue and highly prejudicial seeing as they can do the same tasks as men and perform them just as well. Although women are smaller in stature than males, they are yet still prepared to face any challenges that come their way.
Sexual harassment is an issue that is not only prominent in the police department, but also in other careers where there is some form of hierarchy or chain of command. In precincts, women are consistently pressured to do better than men. However, sometimes better is not the best, and they are taken advantage of because of their performance. Since policing is a male-dominated field, there is often a silent code that women should be able to deal with whatever kind of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination that comes their way. This may include but not be limited to verbal statements, commands, and even physical contact. Additionally, women who do not give in to the advances of their superiors or fellow employees are then subjected to even more intense harassment and even isolation simply because they resisted (Paraphrase quote page 317 in book). Because of the stigma associated with sexual harassment, female officers will tolerate as much as they can for as long as they can before speaking out. Asking for help, in essence, is a last resort, and it is done so cautiously as to not raise suspicion from her fellow male officers or instigate retaliation. As time has progressed, more women have come forward and discussed the mistreatment in their departments. However, the possibility that they not only might not receive compensation (whether it be verbal or financial) but also could be dismissed from their job makes it even harder for women to admit the behavior.