The code of silence and female police officers in Slovenia. Gender differences in willingness to report police misconduct

• Published date: 16 May 2016
• Date: 16 May 2016
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-10-2015-0118
• Pages: 387-400
• Author: Branko Lobnikar,Kaja Prislan,Barbara Čuvan,Gorazd Meško
• Subject Matter: Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice

The code of silence

and female police officers

in Slovenia

Gender differences in willingness to

report police misconduct

Branko Lobnikar

Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor,

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Kaja Prislan

Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security,

Department of Policing and Security Studies, University of Maribor,

Ljubljana, Slovenia, and

Barbara Čuvan and Gorazd Meško

Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor,

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Purpose –For some time now, research conducted in the field of human behavior and criminology has

pertained to the contemporary question as to whether there are any relevant differences between the

genders regarding their integrity and opinions held and, if so, which of these lead to different

behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether there are any gender differences in

willingness to report police misconduct and if so, what is the nature of these differences.

Design/methodology/approach –In spring 2011, the study was conducted on a representative

sample of 408 frontline Slovenian police officers (87.3 percent were male and 12.7 percent were female).

The assessment of the code of silence was conducted using the method developed by Klockars and

Kutnjak Ivković(2004), and consisted of 14 hypothetical scenarios describing a range of various forms

of police misconduct, from those that merely give the appearance of a conflict of interest, to incidents

of bribery and theft. One of the questions explored in relation to the police code of silence was the police

officer’s willingness to report misconduct.

Findings –Authors discovered significant differences in 11 of the 14 analyzed cases on the

willingness to report police misconduct. Interestingly, female police officers were less willing than

their male colleagues to report different forms of police misconduct. Female police officers are

less willing to report police corruption in seven cases e.g. shooting runaway suspect, supervisor

abusing his/her power, excessive force –punching a suspect, falsification of evidence, supervisor

not prevent beating a suspect, police officer take bribes, and doing nothing when juveniles

paint graffiti. The results were further analyzed from the group dynamic in Slovenian police point

of view. The survey findings could be useful for police chiefs, leaders, and managers who want to

achieve the main objective of every modern police organization: to prevent corruption and increase

social responsibility.

Originality/value –The study analyzes, comprehensively and originally, whether the female police

officers differ from their male colleagues in the level of police integrity and willingness to report the

cases of police corruption and/or other forms of police misbehavior.

Keywords Slovenia, Code of silence, Integrity, Glass ceiling, Female police officers,

Willingness to report misconduct

Paper type Research paper

Policing: An International Journal

ofPolice Strategies& Management

Vol. 39 No. 2, 2016

pp. 387-400

©Emerald Group Publis hing Limited

1363-951X

DOI 10.1108/PIJPSM-10-2015-0118

Received 20 October 2015

Revised 13 January 2016

29 February 2016

Accepted 4 March 2016

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

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387

The code of

silence and

female police

officers