Officer sex, hegemonic masculinity and beliefs about sexual assault and other gendered violent crime within a SAKI-funded police department

Purpose Some police departments have prioritized the inclusion of female officers within special victims units (SVUs), given male officers’ higher endorsement of maladaptive beliefs towards sexual assault cases and victims (i.e. rape myths). Yet, beliefs related to rape and other violent crimes may be a function of hegemonic masculinity, rather than officer self-reported sex. This study considered the influence of officer sex and support for power over women, a component of hegemonic masculinity, on various crime-related beliefs. Design/methodology/approach Police officers (n = 331, 75.8% male, 48.0% White) recruited from a southeastern US police department that had received Sexual Assault Kit Initiative funding participated in an anonymous online survey. Findings Female officers reported lower support for power over women and rape myth acceptance than male officers; differences in false rape reporting estimates were trending, with female officers generating higher rates. Female officers estimated lower rates of false stalking reports but higher rates of false domestic violence (DV) reports. Moderation analyses revealed main effects of support for power over women on rape myth acceptance and estimates of false rape and DV reports as well as an interaction effect between support for power over women and officer sex on false DV reporting estimates. Originality/value Case and unit assignment based on sex alone appears to represent an overly simplistic solution to a complex social concern. Reconsidering the role of hegemonic masculinity in police culture may help address violent crime-related biases and improve responses to survivors by both male and female officers.