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First published online January 5, 2012

Police Perceptions of Sexual Assault Victims: Exploring the Intra-Female Gender Hostility Thesis

Ericka Wentz and Carol A. ArchboldView all authors and affiliations
Volume 15, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611111432843

Abstract

This study explores variation in the perception of sexual assault victims among male and female police officers in a Midwestern police agency. Surveys that include both qualitative and quantitative questions are completed by 100 patrol officers. An analysis of qualitative data revealed some support for the Intra-Female Gender Hostility Thesis, which posits that female officers subscribe to rape myths and victim blaming more than male officers. Quantitative analysis showed no significant differences in the way that male and female officers perceived sexual assault victims. Policy implications based on these findings are presented and discussed at the end of this article.

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Published In

Volume 15, Issue 1
Pages: 25 - 44
Article first published online: January 5, 2012
Issue published: March 2012

Keywords

  1. police perceptions of sexual assault
  2. intra-female gender hostility
  3. police

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© SAGE Publications 2012.
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Authors

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Ericka Wentz
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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Carol A. Archbold
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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Notes

Ericka Wentz, North Dakota State University, Dept of Criminal Justice and Political Science, NDSU Dept 2315, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA Email: [email protected]
Ericka Wentz is a doctoral student in the criminal justice graduate program at North Dakota State University. Her research interests include a variety of topics related to policing, as well as sexual assault victimization, with particular interest in examining the ways race and gender influence the police culture and decision-making processes of police officers.
Carol A. Archbold is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science at North Dakota State University. Her research interests include women in policing, police liability, and accountability, police processing of sexual assault cases, and issues related to race and the criminal justice system. She has published several articles in Police Quarterly, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, Journal of Criminal Justice, and the Journal of Crime and Justice. She has published several books including the following: Police Accountability, Risk Management and Legal Advising (LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2004); Women and Policing in America: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Aspen Publishing, 2011); and is currently writing Policing: A Text/Reader, which will be included in the Criminology & Criminal Justice Text/Reader series for SAGE Publications in 2012.

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