How Subject Gender Shapes the Level and Progression of Police Use of Force

Use-of-force research often includes subject gender as a control, but gender is rarely the primary focus. Adopting a focal concerns perspective, we examined whether (1) officers use more force against male subjects than female subjects; (2) incidents with female subjects progress differently than those with male subjects; and (3) officer gender conditions the effects of subject gender. We analyzed 7,009 force incidents using a multilevel framework nesting force sequences within incidents. We found officers use more force and escalate use-of-force more quickly against male subjects than female subjects. This tendency was slightly attenuated after controlling for subject resistance, weaponry, BMI, and other factors. Officer gender was not associated with use-of-force and did not moderate the effects of subject gender. Our results reveal the pervasive effect of subject gender on officer use-of-force and provide insight into whether these disparities reflect legally relevant factors, critical for developing policing policies and training.