Females and the Police Academy

Abstract

The experience of females in police academies has been shaped by multiple factors. The history of women in policing, the emphasis of physical training during the academy, and a pervasion of masculinity within academy culture result in unique experiences for female recruits. Underlying these experiences is an overemphasis of the importance of masculinity and a denigration of other values. This cultural view is formally reinforced in academy training and informally reinforced by the culture of police academies. Some evidence suggests that police academies may propagate an institutionalized message that devalues female recruits. Other research suggests that the initial acculturation process during training may result in differential rates of attrition for female recruits.