RT Article
T1 Women in Policing and Legitimacy: A Vignette-Based Study of Symbolic Representation
JF Women & criminal justice
VO 31
IS 5
SP 342
OP 359
A1 Schuck, Amie M.
A2 Baldo, Paola
A2 Powell, Christopher
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1770925198
AB Using a two-by-two vignette-based experimental design, this study aimed to examine the effects of women’s symbolic representation in sexual assault units and the arrest rate for interpersonal violence cases on individuals’ perceptions of police legitimacy, support for leadership, and willingness to engage in bystander intervention behaviors. Using responses from 357 students attending one university in the Midwest, the results showed that a higher level of women’s representation was associated with more police legitimacy and greater support for the leader when the agency had a low arrest rate. Whereas police legitimacy was related to bystanders’ intentions to intervene, women’s representation in the unit and the arrest rate was not. The findings indicate that women’s representation in policing strengthens the support for the police in gendered areas when the agency is underperforming.
K1 Sexual Assault
K1 Representation
K1 Rape
K1 Procedural Justice
K1 Legitimacy
K1 glass cliff
K1 Female Officer
DO 10.1080/08974454.2020.1871159