Disclaimers for the Non-Reporting of Sexual Harassment within the Swedish Police

Abstract

This article analyses reasons for not reporting sexual harassment within the Swedish police. The empirical data consisting of interviews, participant observation, testimonies from the police #MeToo call, and internal police investigations is analysed through tracing ‘disclaimers’, a form of discursive devices aligning actions to restore meaning. The article identifies 20 disclaimers that represent distinct reasons for not reporting sexual harassment perpetrated by colleagues and supervisors. These disclaimers shed light on police cultural norms and what we label as ‘male network acceptance’, that together with organisational factors influence the un/willingness to report experiences of sexual harassment. The findings show that sexual harassment is renegotiated when perpetrated by colleagues, and that both the harassed and bystanders doubt that reporting will lead to positive impacts. There is therefore a need to develop and implement alternative ways of handling sexual harassment that enable a shift from individual guilt, and re-frame sexual harassment as an issue of collegial concern.