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Behind the Blue Line: Investigating Police Officers’ Attitudes Toward Rape

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Abstract

The current study contributes to what is known about police officers’ attitudes toward rape. A survey was administered to 891 sworn police officers in two states in the southeastern United States. The surveys were designed to assess police officers’ acceptance of rape myths. It was hypothesized that police officers would be accepting of rape myths, which are inherently misogynistic. Attitudes toward rape were expected to vary according to educational attainment and experience with rape investigations, such that higher levels of education and more experience with rape investigations would lead to the rejection of rape myths. There was a significant difference in the acceptance of rape myths with varying levels of educational attainment and experience with rape investigations.

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Notes

  1. It was later discovered that at least two of the four police departments that declined participation had launched sexual assault or domestic violence investigations against a police officer within the department.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Social Work, Appalachian State University, 209 Chapell Wilson Hall, Boone, NC, 28608, USA

    Amy Dellinger Page

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  1. Amy Dellinger Page
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Correspondence to Amy Dellinger Page.

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Page, A.D. Behind the Blue Line: Investigating Police Officers’ Attitudes Toward Rape. J Police Crim Psych 22, 22–32 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-007-9002-7

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