Chinese Police Officers Research Articles

Technology utilization, self-legitimacy, and external procedural injustice: a study of Chinese police officers

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to examine the direct relationship between police officers' perceived technology utilization and their perception of external procedural injustice, as well as the indirect relationship through perceived self-legitimacy.Design/methodology/approachThis study used survey data collected from 1,944 police officers in a northern Chinese province. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to assess the direct and indirect associations between technology utilization and external procedural injustice.FindingsTechnology efficacy was negatively associated with external procedural injustice and positively associated with both self-legitimacy and public-defined legitimacy. Furthermore, officers’ self-perceived legitimacy is negatively associated with their support for procedurally unjust behaviors, while officers’ perception of public-defined legitimacy, unexpectedly, is positively related to their endorsement of procedural injustice. Conversely, technology difficulty was positively related to external procedural injustice and negatively associated with public-defined legitimacy.Originality/valueThe present study represents a first attempt to link technology utilization to external procedural injustice in the policing literature. This study provides needed evidence to support the importance role of technology utilization in shaping police officers’ occupational attitudes toward themselves and the public in an authoritarian country.

Organizational Justice, Technology Utilization, and Well-Beings Among Chinese Police Officers

Organizational Justice, Technology Utilization, and Well-Beings Among Chinese Police Officers

Work pressure, coping styles and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers: a meta-analytic review

The present study conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to systematically review the relationship between occupational burnout and work pressure among Chinese police officers. Additionally, the study explored the mediating role of coping styles using a meta-analytic structural equation model. The investigation involved a thorough search of CNKI, PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, resulting in the identification of a total of 39 studies with 124 effect sizes and 14,089 police officers. The findings revealed a positive correlation between work pressure and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers (r = 0.410, 95% CI = [0.347, 0.469]). Furthermore, negative coping styles mediate the relationship between work pressure and occupational burnout. Importantly, these conclusions held true across various work regions for police officers. These results provide insights into the relationship magnitude between work pressure and occupational burnout in Chinese police work and shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Based on these findings, it is recommended that interventions focusing on reducing work pressure and fostering positive coping styles be implemented to mitigate occupational burnout among police officers.

Gender, Sexism, and Police Attitudes Toward Policing Intimate Partner Violence in China.

This study examines the impact of gender and sexism on police officers' attitudes toward policing intimate partner violence (IPV). Data were collected from 826 Chinese police officers through online questionnaires. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis found that male police officers and those with sexist attitudes believe that handling IPV cases is illegitimate; they tend to perceive that the police are not morally bound to regulate such cases. Meanwhile, policewomen are less likely to consider that IPV interventions are difficult and resource-intensive. Findings indicate the need to amend policies and practices concerning gender and sexism among police officers to control IPV.

Supportive Interventions of Chinese Police in Domestic Violence: Do Officer Knowledge and Training Matter?

Policing domestic violence (DV) poses significant challenges in China due to cultural, legal, and organizational complexities. Policing DV in China favors mediation over assertive interventions, complicating law enforcement's role. While previous research has focused on coercive interventions by Chinese police, there is limited information on non-coercive, supportive approaches. This study investigates the relationship between police officers' knowledge and training regarding the Anti-DV law and their willingness to provide supportive services to DV victims in China. It also considers various individual and organizational factors. The data used in this study are derived from the Policing DV in China project, with a sample of 1,353 respondents who had experience dealing with DV cases within the past 3 years. The study focuses on three dependent variables representing supportive approaches to DV cases: Referral, Counseling, and Protection orders. Independent variables include officers' knowledge of the Anti-DV law and agency training. Control variables include the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) and attitudes toward Violence Tolerance, Male Dominance, and Gender Equality. Additionally, demographic variables, working environment, length of service, and police rank are considered. The analytical approach involves a three-step strategy, incorporating descriptive, bivariate analyses, and regression analyses. The results are interpreted using odds ratios and average marginal effects, and statistical software such as SPSS by IBM and R by Open-Source Model is utilized for data analysis. Key findings indicate that more than half of the officers referred intimate partner violence survivors to shelters and assisted victims in filing protection orders. Counseling practices varied across provinces and between male and female officers. Agency training and the use of BWC were positively associated with non-coercive and supportive approaches, while knowledge of the DV Act, male dominance score, and gender equality score did not predict the use of such approaches. Demographic characteristics, including police rank, length of service, and province of employment, influenced the utilization of non-coercive and supportive approaches. This study examines the challenges faced by Chinese police officers when responding to DV cases and their willingness to provide supportive interventions. The study highlights the complexities surrounding the initiation of protection orders due to officers' legal knowledge and discretion. The study emphasizes the importance of police support in addressing DV in China and the role of agency training in promoting non-coercive responses. It highlights regional variations in police support and underscores the need for addressing disparities in service provision across different provinces.

Research note – the connection of organizational justice views with Chinese police officer organizational commitment

PurposePolice officers' attitudes toward their employing organizations are impacted by officers' perceptions of justice within the organization itself, and these perceptions can affect the bond that officers form with their organization. The current study explored how perceptions of three dimensions of organizational justice (i.e. interpersonal, procedural and distributive justice) were related to the affective (i.e. voluntary) organizational commitment of Chinese police officers.Design/methodology/approachThe data for the current study came from a voluntary survey of 589 Chinese police officers in three areas, one each in southern, central and western China.FindingsBased on an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression equation, interpersonal, procedural and distributive justice had similar sized positive associations with organizational commitment.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings support the contention that perceptions of organizational justice views are related to the commitment of Chinese police officers.Practical implicationsRaising the interpersonal, procedural and distributive justice views should raise the level of affective commitment of officers.Social implicationsEnhancing the justice views of officers should benefit officers by treating them more fairly, as well as benefiting the police organization by increasing commitment of officers.Originality/valueThere has been limited research on how the different forms of organizational justice are related to officer commitment, especially among Chinese officers.

Coercion with Morality: Chinese Police Officers’ Gendered Policing Strategies in Domestic Violence Cases

Scholars have established China’s pro-mediation policies in policing domestic violence public security offense cases. However, the mediation process remains obscure. This ethnographic study revealed that officers adopted a gender-based morality to press female and male victims into accepting mediation. Specifically, the police moralized victims’ choices and urged male victims to forgive their wives to protect their masculinity while asking female victims to forgive their husbands to protect their children’s well-being. This work advances the scholarship on domestic violence intervention by showing how such a gendered policing strategy disempowers victims of both genders and results in another form of victim-blaming.

How sleep disturbance is associated with Chinese police officers' job satisfaction: A moderated mediation model.

Tasked with a wide variety of duties, police officers often encounter stressful situations and suffer from sleep disturbance. Previous studies have found that police officers with sleep disturbance generally reported lower levels of job satisfaction; however, the psychological mechanisms by which sleep disturbance is associated with job satisfaction are still relatively underexplored. This study investigated how sleep disturbance was associated with job satisfaction via the mediation of job involvement and via the moderation of resilience among police officers. Data from a sample of 827 Chinese police officers (86.9% men) was analysed. Participants completed a written questionnaire assessing sleep disturbance, job satisfaction, job involvement, resilience, and demographic information. A moderated mediation model was conducted to examine the research questions. Sleep disturbance was negatively associated with job involvement, which, in turn, was positively associated with job satisfaction. Furthermore, both direct and indirect effects of sleep disturbance on job satisfaction were moderated by resilience. Specifically, the negative association between sleep disturbance and job satisfaction was significant only for those with low levels of resilience, but not for those with high levels of resilience. In addition, the positive association between job involvement and job satisfaction was stronger for those with higher resilience compared with those with lower resilience. The findings advance understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying the association between sleep disturbance and job satisfaction among police officers.

Correlates of Chinese Police Job Satisfaction

Abstract Very little research has been conducted on how workplace variables are associated with Chinese police job satisfaction. The present study fills this gap. Using responses from 589 Chinese police officers, the association of job satisfaction with workplace job demands (i.e. role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload, and perceived dangerousness of the job) and workplace job resources (training, job variety, job autonomy, and quality supervision) were tested. Ordinary least squares regression analysis indicated that role conflict, role overload, and dangerousness of the job all had non-significant associations with job satisfaction. Role ambiguity was a significant negative predictor, while training, job variety, job autonomy, and quality supervision all had significant positive relationships with job satisfaction. The results indicate that Chinese police administrators need to reduce role ambiguity and to improve training views, job variety, job autonomy, and quality supervision, which, in turn, should increase the level of satisfaction gained from the job by officers.

Predicting the police code of silence in China: does rural or urban setting matter?

PurposeThis study aims to examine disparities in the code of silence between rural and urban police officers in China.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a national police university in China in 2017. In total, 608 Chinese police officers were surveyed, all of whom attended the in-service training program at the university.FindingsResults suggest that rural officers in China are more likely to embrace the code of silence than their urban counterparts. Additionally, this study demonstrates significant influences of such organizational and environmental factors as police type, agency location and perception of misconduct seriousness on adherence to the code of silence.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used a convenient sampling approach, which restricts the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the stronger code of silence among rural officers, there should be more efforts devoted to cultivating a positive ethical climate within rural police organizations. These efforts may need to come from higher levels of government, given the administrative structure in China. In addition, police supervisors in rural agencies should play an important role, given that they are the first line of defense in detecting and responding to misconduct, and are essential in fostering and sustaining a good ethical environment within the police agency.Originality/valueUsing unique policing data collected from China, this study addresses an important gap in the literature regarding research on rural-urban differences in the police code of silence.

Policing pandemic in China: investigating the roles of organizational adjustment, procedural justice, and police trustworthiness on public compliance

ABSTRACT In December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first detected in Wuhan, China. Soon after, China became the first country in the world to enforce strict lockdown protocols in an effort to mitigate the spread of the disease. This study examines the perceptions of pandemic rules enforcement during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 among 600 Chinese police officers. The analyses reveal that police departments’ prompt and adequate adjustment to the pandemic, police officers’ procedural justice in interacting with citizens, and police perceptions of police trustworthiness among the citizens all had direct and indirect effects on public compliance to lockdown enforcement during the pandemic. These findings affirm the role of police procedural justice in public compliance to law enforcement in China and stress the importance of organizational adjustment and public trust during an emergency situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications to pandemic-related policymaking and enforcement are also discussed.

Gendered fieldwork with Chinese police: Negotiations among a researcher, gatekeeper, and participants

This study is a reflexive analysis of my fieldwork experience studying Chinese police officers’ responses to domestic violence, focusing on recruitment and access. As one of the first qualitative works that investigate the gender quality of China’s street-level police subculture, it examines how having a female gatekeeper and studying a gendered topic in a male-dominated and chivalrously sexist subculture can shape female researchers’ fieldwork. This article clarifies the multiple roles a gatekeeper plays. The findings also highlight that doing gender in fieldwork involves a mutual categorization by emphasizing the participants’ gender performance in response to the researcher’s gender identity as well as the research topic. Finally, this work also provides tips that fellow researchers working in the field may find helpful in managing gender performance, avoiding sexist treatments, and enhancing the trustworthiness of the findings.

How does COVID-19 pandemic strength influence work fatigue? The mediating role of occupational calling.

Drawing on event system theory, this study explored the mechanism by which COVID-19 pandemic strength (including criticality, disruption, and novelty) influences work fatigue through the mediating role of occupational calling. A two-wave field study was conducted with 857 Chinese police officers using COVID-19 pandemic strength, occupational calling, and work fatigue questionnaires. The results showed that COVID-19 pandemic criticality had a positive effect on work fatigue and occupational calling, and that occupational calling mediated the direct link between COVID-19 pandemic criticality and work fatigue. Additionally, the first and second stages of the mediating effect were jointly moderated by COVID-19 pandemic disruption and novelty. When COVID-19 pandemic disruption and novelty were high, the positive relationship between COVID-19 pandemic criticality and occupational calling, and the mediating role of occupational calling, were stronger. The negative relationship between occupational calling and work fatigue was strengthened when COVID-19 pandemic disruption was high and novelty was low.

Explaining Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Chinese Police Officers

Policing can be stressful, especially during public crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic. Using survey data from 600 police officers in a large city in West China, this study examines the prevalence of police stress increase during the pandemic’s peak month, compared pre-pandemic, and assesses a range of personal and work-related risk and protective factors of police stress. We found that Chinese officers suffered widespread, increased levels of stress during the peak pandemic month. Sources of police stress primarily came from changes in workloads and fear of contracting COVID-19. Perceived effectiveness of agency protection of officers against the COVID-19 risk, sufficient amount of sleep, and increased family time significantly reduced stress. These results bear important research and policy implications.

Rank, Experience, and Attitudes towards Domestic Violence Intervention: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Chinese Police Officers

Abstract By analyzing survey data collected from over 400 police officers in Jiangsu Province, China, this study assessed the direct and indirect effects of officer rank and experience on police support for law enforcement domestic violence (DV) intervention. The results from the path analysis revealed that officer experience of handling DV reduced support for DV intervention, and this reductive effect was stronger among frontline officers as compared with their supervisors. Supervisory support was directly linked to officer support for handling DV, mediating the influences of demographic and experiential factors. These findings suggest that when it comes to DV intervention, the experience of handling DV, moderated by officer rank, plays a strong role in shaping DV enforcement in China along with supervisory support. Implications for policymaking and future research were also discussed.

Stress response of police officers during COVID‐19: A moderated mediation model

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, police officers have been at the frontline of danger. Their mental health should arouse the attention of society. To test the relationship between the psychological support they received and their stress response, the present study built a moderated mediation model to examine this and the effects of underlying mechanisms. A total of 553 Chinese police officers participated in this study; four scales were measured by standardised questionnaires (Emotional Identity of Profession Scale; DSM‐5 Self‐Rated Level 1 Cross‐Cutting Symptom Measure‐Adult; Psychological Support Scale; Active Work Adaptation Scale). Stress response was negatively correlated with psychological support, emotional identity of profession and active work adaptation. Psychological support, emotional identity of profession and active work adaptation were all positively correlated. Psychological support had a negative direct effect on stress response, and emotional identity of profession's mediating effect was distinct and was moderated by active work adaptation.

Police Officers’ Preferences for Gender-Based Responding to Domestic Violence in China

This study examines Chinese police officers’ preferences for different formations of responders to domestic violence. Specifically, it assessed the connections between Chinese officers’ gender and gender-based attitudes and their perceptions of whether female officers, male officers, or mixed-gender officers are more suited for responding to battered women, offenders, and domestic violence overall. Survey data were collected from 1052 officers, including 278 females and 774 males from four provinces in China. Frequency distributions, cross-tabulations, and multivariate regression were used as data analysis methods. Chinese officers, in general, were more likely to believe that female officers are more suited to work with battered women, the male officer is more apt to handle offenders, and a combination of male and female officers are more adapted to deal with “domestic violence overall”. Female officers preferred male officers over themselves in investigating “domestic violence overall.” Officers who have more support for gender equality or more tolerance for domestic violence are more likely to believe that, compared to male officers, female officers are more suitable to work with batter women, and a combination of male and female officers is better to provide service to battered women and to respond to “domestic violence overall.” Policymakers and police administrators should strive to promote the value of a more gender-balanced police force and involve more female officers to work in responding to domestic violence.

The Role of Psychological Empowerment in Reducing Job Burnout Among Police Officers: A Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Approach

The study aimed to assess the effect of psychological empowerment on burnout from variable-centered and person-centered perspective. Based on 363 questionnaires from police officers in China, the results of this study indicate that when police officer feel higher level of psychological empowerment, job burnout can be decreased among Chinese police officers. From the person-centered perspective, this study used latent profile analysis method to divide three different job burnouts, including low job burnout, moderate job burnout, and high job burnout. Police officers with a high level of emotional exhaustion were more likely to have the high job burnout profile compared with the other two job burnout profiles. Police officers with a low level of depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment were more likely to have the moderate and low job burnout profile compared with others. Different job burnout profiles can be impacted by psychological empowerment.

Officer and Organizational Correlates With Police Interventions in Domestic Violence in China.

Although domestic violence has long been identified as a serious social problem in China, little is known about police officers' attitudinal and behavioral tendencies toward such incidents. Drawing upon survey data collected from police officers in two Chinese provinces, this study assesses whether officer and organizational factors are correlated to police inaction and intervention in resolving family violence. More than a quarter of Chinese police officers often and sometime did not take any action when responding to domestic violence. Chinese officers favored most the least punitive approaches of mediation and separation, with the most punitive actions, written warning and criminal sanction as the least preferred interventions. We found that Chinese officers with low levels of knowledge about the domestic violence law, higher degrees of tolerance of violence and less supportive attitudes toward an active police role in handling domestic violence are less willing to take any action against the offenders. Chinese police officers who perceived stronger supervisory support and expressed better knowledge about China's new domestic violence law are more likely to intervene in domestic violence, whereas police officers who expressed greater degrees of tolerance of violence and believed in gender equality in society are less inclined to intervene. Policy makers and police administrators ought to pay greater attention to frontline supervisors' attitudes and behavior toward proper responses to family violence. If active intervention is preferred, then measures and programs should be put into place to improve police officers' legal knowledge and communication and problem-solving skills pertaining to conflict resolution.

A Survey of Psychological Responses During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Epidemic among Chinese Police Officers in Wuhu.

BackgroundThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented serious threats to people’s health and lives. Police officers are bravely fighting on the front lines of the epidemic. The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of psychological responses among police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and find influencing factors in depression and anxiety.MethodsA cross-sectional online questionnaire was administered to police officers in Wuhu through WeChat, and data were collected between March 10 and 26, 2020. A total of 3,561 questionnaires were received, of which 3,517 were considered valid. The questionnaires included demographic information and a psychological survey. The depression scale of the Patient Health QuestionnaireQ9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were utilized to assess depression and anxiety, respectively.ResultsThe mean depression score of participants was 4.10±4.87 (0–27), and 12.17%had moderate–severe depression. The mean anxiety score of participants was 3.59±4.228 (0–21), and 8.79% had moderate–severe anxiety. Older and married police officers were at higher risk of anxiety. Those with a bachelor’s degree or above, living near the city center, and taking sleeping pills were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Auxiliary police had lower depression and anxiety scores. Depression scores were strongly correlated withanxiety scores (r=0.863, p<0.001).ConclusionOur findings identify factors associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety that can be utilized to develop psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.