Choosing a career in police work: A comparative study between applicants for employment with a large police department and public high school students

Abstract

This paper examines the differential elements involved in how males and females select policing as a career. Of particular interest were individuals' interests and perceptions of competency that inhibit or enhance self-selection. Women were found to be interested and to feel competent in their ability to accomplish the separately identified tasks of policing, although were mainly uninterested in the actual job of 'policing.' Also targeting those individuals who appear to have androgynous sex-role identification may help prevent the gender role-conflict that women particularly may experience when working in a nontraditional field such as law enforcement.

Keywords:

• Women
• Career
• Policing