Gender, workplace problems, and stress in policing

Abstract

This paper focuses on the connection of workplace problems with stress for women and men working in police departments. Field research was used to identify the problems that women experience in police departments, and quantitative measures were developed to measure these problems in a survey of women and men in 25 departments. Although women and men experience many of the same work-related problems, and although such problems account for a high proportion of workplace stress in both groups, the gendered nature of police organizations causes unique stressors for women. Overall, however, women do not report higher levels of stress than men.