Abuse of Power
THE clearinghouse on police-perpetrated domestic violence
Female Officers
Cultural Conditioning: The workplace dynamics that require you to tolerate men’s abusive behavior can make you especially vulnerable to verbal, emotional, sexual and psychological abuse in your intimate relationship.
Personal & Professional Impact: If you are a police officer or firefighter who is a victim of domestic abuse, you have to deal with the impact of the abuse on your professional life as well as on your personal life.
Reporting Your Abuse: You may dread reporting the abuse and do everything you can to avoid it. But it may get to the point where you have to protect yourself and your career.
Department Policy & Liability: Departmental policies related to officer-involved domestic violence are often a double-edged sword. The policy can serve to protect you in some ways and make you more vulnerable in other ways.
Safety Provisions & Strategies: Others may give you advice, but you know your abuser better than anyone else. You are in the best position to predict what he will do in retaliation for what you or others do.
Relevant Reading:
Crossing the Threshold: Female Officers and Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence: Examines how police institutional power filters down into intimate relationships.