A Scoping Review on Physical and Psychological Consequences of Violence Against Police (P012)

• In Event: Poster session

Abstract

Violence against police is a reality for many officers. Despite the serious individual and societal consequences of violence against police and the large body of research on violence by police, a comprehensive overview of the psychological and physical consequences of verbal and physical violence against police remains elusive. By performing a scoping review (n = 21) of studies and reports identified via database searches, reference mining, and purposive sampling, and published between 2010 and 2023, this article is the first of its kind to map psychological and physical consequences of violence against police, as well as risk and protective factors that respectively increase and decrease adverse consequences. Results indicate that officers experience primary victimization by a range of different adverse consequences, but also deal with secondary victimization. The literature has come to a standstill due to lack of (recent) studies and a confined view on how the topic is studied. We argue that this lack of academic attention might be influenced by predominant societal perspectives and officers’ perceived victim status, and discuss the implications for police, policymakers, and research.

Authors

• Isabo Goormans, Ghent University

• Agnes Verbouw, Criminology student

• Christophe Vandeviver, Ghent University