Breaking the Code of Silence: The Role of Organizational Justice in Adherence to the Code

• In Event: Police Misconduct Worldwide

Abstract

Although the police code of silence has been widely examined in policing research, few studies have explored the role of organizational justice in shaping officers' adherence to the code. Using survey data from 448 police officers employed at four police stations in Croatia, this study examines whether officers' perceptions of organizational justice influence their willingness to adhere to the code of silence. Results indicate that officers who perceive higher levels of organizational justice are less likely to say that they would participate in the code of silence. Additionally, organizational justice is negatively associated with perceptions of peer adherence to the code of silence, which in turn reduces officers’ own willingness to adhere to the code of silence. Mediation analysis confirms that perceptions of peer adherence to the code partially explain the relationship between organizational justice and officers' own perceived engagement in the code. These findings suggest that perceptions of organizational justice not only directly discourage the police officers’ expressed adherence code of silence but also indirectly weaken it by shaping officers’ beliefs about peers’ adherence. Strengthening fairness and transparency within police organizations may be key to reducing the code of silence and fostering a culture of accountability.

Authors

• Elliott Idol, Michigan State University

• Yongjae (David) Nam, The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich, Michigan State University

• Irena Cajner Mraovic, University of Zagreb