Gender differences in exposure to co-worker and public-initiated violence: Assessing the impact of work-related violence and aggression in police work

Abstract

Policing has traditionally been considered a male-dominated and hazardous occupation, which has called into question its suitability for women. More recent research, however, suggests that policing necessitates skills and attributes that are not gender specific. The nature and extent of violence experienced by police personnel is widely debated, particularly in relation to the (1) type of violence experienced, whether physical or psychological, (2) source, including public and co-worker-initiated violence and (3) gender differences in exposure and their consequences. A total of 581 frontline police officers (495 males and 86 females) from a UK police force participated in this study, which examines gender differences in the frequency and impact of exposure to violence. It was predicted that females would be less exposed to violence from the general public but to higher levels of violence from their co-workers. It was also predicted that co-worker violence would have more negative consequences than public initiated violence for both groups and that these consequences would be more detrimental among females. The results suggest that no such gender differences exist in the frequency of exposure to both public and co-worker-initiated violence. There are, however, some minor gender differences in the relative impact of different types of exposure to violence on well-being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• gender
• policing
• work-related violence
• public-initiated violence
• co-worker-initiated violence
• well being
• work-related stress