On The Edge of Order: Gender Differences in Policing Networks

• In Event: Network Criminology and Policing

Abstract

Gender disparities continue to persist within policing. Female officers encounter fewer opportunities for advancement, higher attrition rates, and obstacles to social integration. Gender disparities are commonly explained by informal norms, social cues, and subcultures that relegate females to the periphery of these organizations. Existing research suggests relationships are deeply gendered, yet how females structure their networks within police organizations remains underexplored. Leveraging data on officers’ informal networks across five departments, we map the network positions of female officers within police organizations. We find female officers vary in their embeddedness within departments, and gravitate towards more cohesive structures, as compared to male officers. Further, female officers with higher rates of misconduct tend to sit on the outskirts of departmental networks, whereas misconduct bolsters males’ network centrality. As females are increasingly encouraged to join departmental ranks, network dynamics emerge as a nascent avenue for uncovering and remedying gender disparities in policing.

Authors

• Marie Ouellet, Georgia State University

• Sadaf Hashimi, University of Nebraska Omaha