Sexual and violent police perpetrators: the institutional response to reporting victims

Authors: Mulvihill, N. and Sweeting, F.

Journal: Policing and Society

eISSN: 1477-2728

ISSN: 1043-9463

DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2024.2369332

Abstract:

Despite recent high-profile cases of police perpetrated violence against women, academic research in the UK on the nature and prevalence of police officers who are physically and sexually abusive towards female intimate partners is limited. Still less is known about the experience of these victims who seek to report police perpetrators to the police. This study presents the findings from interviews that we conducted in early 2023 with ten female intimate partner victims of male police perpetrators in England and Wales. The experiences shared by participants included the period 2018–2023 in all but one case. Four of the interview participants were themselves police officers. Using thematic analysis, we classify experiences of reporting as ‘hostile-obstructive’ and/or ‘collusive-minimising’. We discuss these findings in relation to the concept of ‘institutional betrayal’ and consider how the police can demonstrate urgent ‘institutional courage’ for reform.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40158/

Source: Scopus

Sexual and violent police perpetrators: the institutional response to reporting victims

Authors: Mulvihill, N. and Sweeting, F.

Journal: POLICING & SOCIETY

eISSN: 1477-2728

ISSN: 1043-9463

DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2024.2369332

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40158/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Sexual and violent police perpetrators: the institutional response to reporting victims

Authors: Sweeting, F. and Mulvihill, N.

Journal: Policing and Society: an international journal of research and policy

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

ISSN: 1043-9463

DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2024.2369332

Abstract:

Despite recent high-profile cases of police perpetrated violence against women, academic research in the UK on the nature and prevalence of police officers who are physically and sexually abusive towards female intimate partners is limited. Still less is known about the experience of these victims who seek to report police perpetrators to the police. This study presents the findings from interviews that we conducted in early 2023 with ten female intimate partner victims of male police perpetrators in England and Wales. The experiences shared by participants included the period 2018–2023 in all but one case. Four of the interview participants were themselves police officers. Using thematic analysis, we classify experiences of reporting as ‘hostile-obstructive’ and/or ‘collusive-minimising’. We discuss these findings in relation to the concept of ‘institutional betrayal’ and consider how the police can demonstrate urgent ‘institutional courage’ for reform.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40158/

Source: Manual

Sexual and violent police perpetrators: the institutional response to reporting victims

Authors: Mulvihill, N. and Sweeting, F.

Journal: Policing and Society

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

ISSN: 1043-9463

Abstract:

Despite recent high-profile cases of police perpetrated violence against women, academic research in the UK on the nature and prevalence of police officers who are physically and sexually abusive towards female intimate partners is limited. Still less is known about the experience of these victims who seek to report police perpetrators to the police. This study presents the findings from interviews that we conducted in early 2023 with ten female intimate partner victims of male police perpetrators in England and Wales. The experiences shared by participants included the period 2018–2023 in all but one case. Four of the interview participants were themselves police officers. Using thematic analysis, we classify experiences of reporting as ‘hostile-obstructive’ and/or ‘collusive-minimising’. We discuss these findings in relation to the concept of ‘institutional betrayal’ and consider how the police can demonstrate urgent ‘institutional courage’ for reform.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40158/

Source: BURO EPrints