his article will argue that attitudes and behaviour towards conduct, usually defined by the there are parallels between women with evidence of more powerful members. The less T domestic violence and the endemic sexual harassment powerful members are often plight of battered wives and the (Brown 1998, HMIC 1993, 1996). passive and dependent performing circumstances of the work servicing functions in exchange for environment of the police and the Cult of masculinity care and protection. In many experiences of women officers. families and workplaces, the most Smith and Gray's (1983) The police service recognises that powerful tend to be men. Less participant observation study of equal treatment of citizens will be powerful members, usually 's more likely if there is equal women, who 'cause trouble' tend revealed an informal culture in to be isolated and frequently which stories of fighting and scapegoated as a mechanism to violence, conversations about preserve the power relationships. sexual conquests and feats of Glass (1995) documents coping Abusive drinking combined together into "a mechanisms of women who elect kind of cult of masculinity" (p87). to stay in abusive domestic It was not a climate that readily relationships: denial, in which the accepted women's equal relationships victim at first claims no harm was participation in the full range of done or that the intention was not policing duties or occupancy of to harm; minimization, in which senior rank. First introduced into the harm is discounted or policing during World War One, at work - trivialised; reform, where the women remain a minority within woman believes that ultimately the police in England and Wales, their man could be changed. currently about 14%. About 59c of policewomen as chief officers are women as are 3% of superintendents. There is, Police women's despite over twenty years of victims equality legislation, differential coping adaptations deployment of women, with their Research on women police officers being disproportionately under- suggests they cope by emphasising Jennifer Brown looks at the impact represented in duties still either their gender identity or their considered unsuitable such as police identity. Brewer (1991) of the police occupational culture on traffic, certain types of criminal describes 'Hippolytes' who women officers. investigations, firearms and public attempt to retain as much order. There remains a perception femininity as the bureaucratic treatment within forces for all that women officers are best suited regimen permits, who eschew officers (Brown 1997: 24). to deal with the "emotional labour" operational duties preferring Initiatives such as the Victim 'J of police work which pushes them support roles or retreat to safer Charter, Quality of Service policy, into the marginalised social gendered tasks such as training and Home Office Circulars on rape and services policing. Fielding (1998) work with victims. "Amazons' on domestic violence has led to a found "The WPC [woman police the other hand not only gave as reconstruction of community ] belongs to the feminine good as they got but competed based and victim focused policing. world of emotion, sensitivity and with the men in joke telling and Yet recent evaluations (Jones, academic niceties like paperwork, swearing. There are costs to Newburn and Smith 1994; Temkin the PC is the man of action and policewomen when adopting 1996; Lees 1997) show there still strength" (pl63). Acceptance by either style; affronts to their to be an ambivalence from front men of 'weak', 'emotional' and femininity or to their line police officers about women's 'community service orientated' professionalism. It seems to be victimisation which indulges a women destabilises their own difficult to retain your femininity kind of paternalistic protectionism sense of identity as police officers. and be accepted as a professionally at one extreme to beliefs about This invokes behaviour to competent police officer. women's contributing negligence maintain the differences between at the other. There is frustration Participants in a study men and women officers thereby with women as repeat victims of conducted by Anderson, Brown creating feelings of insecurity and domestic violence and a tendency and Campbell (1993) of police and powerlessness in those that are to 'no-crime1 rape where evidence civilian women's experiences dissimilar to the dominant norm. is ambiguous. This ambivalence is revealed a range of coping also reflected in police men's strategies reminiscent of women in domestically abusive relationships. Abusive domestic Examples were found of: "In many families and workplaces, the relationships • Minimisation - a bit of jovial most powerful tend to be men. Less Mezey and Rubenstein (1992) banter makes a good shift. If compare the dynamics operating in everyone took offence at powerful members, usually women, who everything ever said we would 9 the workplace and in the home 'cause trouble tend to be isolated and all be paranoid. where violent abuse has occurred. frequently scapegoated as a mechanism They suggest that work, like home, • Suffering in silence -1 believe can be represented as a caring, self- over the years I have built up to preserve the power relationships. a defence mechanism. To contained unit. Both have Work like home can be represented as a respond only serves to hierarchical structures with increase the behaviour. If you caring, self-contained unit." unwritten rules and codes of

22 no. 35 Spring 1999 Equal Opportunities Commission in England and Wales. London: about sexual harassment e.g. Home Office Police Research Alison Halford. The attitude is if Group. you can't take the heat, stay out of Brown, J M (1997) Equal oppor- the kitchen. I don't agree with it but tunities and police in England and I want a career in the police. Wales; past, present and future. In Francis, P, Davies, P and Jupp V Conclusion (eds) Policing future; the police, law enforcement and the twenty In the same way that not all women first century. London: Macmillan. are domestically abused, it is not Brown J M (1998) Aspects of dis- suggested here that all police criminatory treatment of women as women suffer sexual harassment. police officers serving in forces in What is argued is that the England and Wales. British Jour- organisational structures, gender nal of Criminology. 38 265-282. ratio and male constructed images Fielding, N (\9f&) Joining Forces of police and policing create an London: Routledge environment that has parallels to Glass, D (1995) All my fault; why domestic relationships in which women don't leave abusive men. men maintain control through London: Virago violence or paternalism. The reasons for policemen's reluctance Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Con- to be drawn into policing violent stabulary (1996) Equal opportuni- behaviour perpetrated on women ties in the police service. London: by men lies in attitudes that Home Office somehow women precipitated it, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Con- asked for it or enjoyed it. Unless stabulary (1996) Developing diver- the victim is 'deserving1 in some sity in the police service. London: manner, by for example, the nature Home Office or seriousness of her injuries, Jones T, Newbum T and Smith D police officers decline to abide by J (1994) Democracy and policing. their own policy guidelines. The London: Policy Studies Institute persistence of these attitudes Smith, D and Gray J (1983) Po- provides a measure of explanation lice and people of London; The PSI about instances of abusive Report. Aldershot: Gower relationships in the form of sexual Temkin J (1999) Reporting rape in harassment that occur within the London: a qualitative study. ignore it for long enough it willIt became apparent that women police. The structural realities of a Howard Journal 38 17-41. go away. were reluctant to use the available male majority in control of Appeasement - Sexual grievance procedures for much the resources within the police mirror harassment is part of the same reason that women did not those in domestic relationships. police culture. Conformity want to report rape or domestic Women's investment in either job within the system makes life violence to the police: fear of or home can make it difficult to easier as acceptance into work reprisals; further victimisation; leave so some adaptation takes groups is an important part of lack of sympathy; complaints place. The cost of adapting to the sur\>ival in the organisation. being trivialised, not being police occupational culture for a Denial - [Anderson. Brown believed. Examples can be found woman officer can be the adoption and Campbell's research) from amongst the policewomen of of a style that minimises her gives an inaccurate portrayal experiences that look remarkly like professionalism or her femininity, of women officers as being those of women in abusive either or botrtare likely to increase weak and naive, undermining relationships (reported in Brown her stress levels, result in poorer our authority and ability to 1997:28) job performance or serious perform police duties... It consideration being given to invites ridicule and does little / went through the force grievance leaving the police prematurely to enhance the reputation of procedure. It was a waste of time. (Brown, Campbell and Fife Schaw women officers... Competent Many of the incidents were and Fielding 1995). policewomen by their very witnessed by PCs on the section nature in my experience give but all denied witnessing the as good if not better than they incidents, whereas the civilian get. I would suggest that those witness backed up my story. It Jennifer Brown is currently the who cannot cope with such resulted in the person being director of the forensic psychology situations cannot possibly counselled for 'man' management programme at the University of cope with the harsh realities ofskills. When I was informed of the Surrey. She was formerly the re- police work. Those allegedly results of the inquiry, I was search manager of the Hampshire forced to resign because of disgusted. The superintendent Constabulary. sexual harassment did not asked me 'what do you want? The obviously possess the desired man s head on a plate ?' References: character traits to become Anderson, R, Brown J, and women police officers. No one wishing to pursue a career in the police force would be Campbell, E A (1993) Aspects of so reckless as to complain to the sex discrimination in police forces

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