Police Mothers at Home

Abstract

Studies of the challenges faced by women in policing have paid little attention to the specific experiences of policewomen who are mothers. Guided by critical theorizing on the gendered nature of the police culture and domestic labor, 16 police officer mothers in Ontario, Canada, were interviewed. Our qualitative analyses explore their experiences of the “lion’s share” of domestic labor; the organizational, cultural, and operational features of policing; and the challenges of child care, and examine how these combine to foster particular stresses. In contrast to intensive mothering approaches that rely on the advice of external experts, our participants work to protect children by carefully constructing stories and asking questions that are based on their own on-the-job experiences with dangerous and/or abhorrent situations. As such, they engage in danger-protection parenting practices to prevent their children from becoming victims or offenders. Our research extends the theorizing on intensive/extensive mothering practices, builds on the scholarship on policing, and adds to the literature on women in nonstandard occupations. This sociological analysis of police mothers’ experiences and practices underscores the importance of understanding and working to change the social contexts, at work and at home, that compromise the well-being of police mothers and other emergency-response workers.

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Italian Police Officers: The Role of Job Demands and Job Resources

“…Further research must investigate the exposure to and the type of traumatic events in which POs have to intervene. Concerning gender, Agocs et al (2015) found that as a consequence of their exposure to traumatic events, female POs are more likely to engage in strategies to prevent their own children from becoming victims or offenders of various crimes. Further research could investigate whether PO mothers and fathers suffering from STS adopt different behaviors in regard to their children.…”

Secondary Trauma and Parenting Practices in Internet Crimes against Children Task Force Investigators

“…Pertaining to law enforcement officials, previous research has explored the development of secondary traumatic stress and significant burnout as a result of their experiences in the workplace (e.g., Perez et al 2010). There has also been research on PTSD and the resulting negative implications on parenting practices, particularly with fathers (Chesmore et al 2018), and parental monitoring behaviors, particularly with mothers (Agocs et al 2015). However, the present literature is slim on secondary traumatic stress among child abuse and child pornography investigators and whether the development of secondary traumatic stress carries over to parenting behaviors for mothers and fathers.…”

“…use of GPS tracking devices, keystroke loggers on computers etc.) and carefully monitoring self-disclosure about work to their children (Agocs et al 2015). These studies highlight the stressors law enforcement officials and their families experience as a result of the traumatic nature of this line of work; however, these studies do not provide detailed information about the association between secondary traumatic stress and parenting behaviors among investigators of child abuse or how the association may differ between mothers and fathers.…”

Madres en período de gestación y lactancia y su relación con el servicio policial en Colombia

“…En efecto, las participantes de la investigación reconocieron que los ideales de ser la mejor trabajadora y madre tienen que ser reevaluados, debido a las altas demandas y expectativas de cada labor y las condiciones poco favorables en el ámbito profesional. Agocs et al (2015) argumentan que las mujeres policías trabajan muy fuerte intentando probar que son dignas de pertenecer al club de los "chicos unifor-mados", que tipifica la organización policial y se intensifica este sentimiento al regresar después de la licencia de maternidad, ya que tienen unas demandas adicionales generadas por la división de las tareas domésticas y el cuidado de los niños. Además, la expectativa de que se separe y priorice el trabajo sobre la familia, conlleva a una tensión significativa para las madres policías.…”

“…Revista Logos Ciencia & Tecnología, 15(1): 19-32 de trabajo y hogar son distintos ("trabajo" está separado de "vida") y que un arreglo armonioso entre los dos se puede lograr ("balancear") conllevando a una vida de sacrificio y cansancio (Agocs et al, 2015). Dada la envergadura de estas tensiones, existen sentimientos tales como la doble responsabilidad, el miedo y la culpa, los cuales hacen que las mujeres restrinjan sus expectativas e incluso piensen en su retiro de las filas.…”