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Women on SWAT teams: separate but equal?

Women on SWAT teams: separate but equal? Purpose – This article aims to examine male and female police officers' perspectives concerning women participating on special weapons and tactical (SWAT) teams. The study seeks to explore differences in opinions on a woman's ability to gain entrance and perform in a traditionally male‐dominated subculture. Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report survey was distributed to a purposive sample of 202 police officers in the US. Male SWAT officers and females from seven agencies responded to 13 Likert‐type items and provided demographic information on years of experience, rank, and race. Findings – The results show that male SWAT members are somewhat receptive to a woman becoming a team member; however, they are more likely than women to believe that females lack the needed strength and skills. Female officers perceive themselves as competent and valuable additions to SWAT. Research limitations/implications – Although the research is exploratory and the findings are difficult to generalize, the results suggest that law enforcement's militaristic nature and role specialization continue to impede integrating female officers into SWAT subcultures. Originality/value – This study is the first to employ quantitative methods to explore police officers' attitudes and gender's role in SWAT assignments. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management Emerald Publishing

Women on SWAT teams: separate but equal?

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1363-951X
DOI
10.1108/13639511111180298
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – This article aims to examine male and female police officers' perspectives concerning women participating on special weapons and tactical (SWAT) teams. The study seeks to explore differences in opinions on a woman's ability to gain entrance and perform in a traditionally male‐dominated subculture. Design/methodology/approach – A self‐report survey was distributed to a purposive sample of 202 police officers in the US. Male SWAT officers and females from seven agencies responded to 13 Likert‐type items and provided demographic information on years of experience, rank, and race. Findings – The results show that male SWAT members are somewhat receptive to a woman becoming a team member; however, they are more likely than women to believe that females lack the needed strength and skills. Female officers perceive themselves as competent and valuable additions to SWAT. Research limitations/implications – Although the research is exploratory and the findings are difficult to generalize, the results suggest that law enforcement's militaristic nature and role specialization continue to impede integrating female officers into SWAT subcultures. Originality/value – This study is the first to employ quantitative methods to explore police officers' attitudes and gender's role in SWAT assignments.

Journal

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 8, 2011

Keywords: Police; Gender; Policewomen; Paramilitary policing; United States of America; Weapons; Women; Attitudes

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