What works in Policing: Gender and Communication

Abstract

The author examined the relation between gender of the police officer and the communication between police officers. Possible mechanisms of gender in relation to communication were derived from the gender role theory and previous research. In addition, it was intended to include the moderator regarding the gender of the colleague during the communication. The sample existed of 98 police officers, from 5 different training locations in the Netherlands. The results of four logistic regressions showed that the effect of gender on the communication between police officers was not significant. There was no gender difference in verbal and nonverbal communication. The moderator, opposite or same-sex colleague, was not used in the analysis due to a lack of respondents regarding the female same-sex couples. Nonetheless, the control variable age was positively related with the variable nonverbal communication. This means that elder police officers communicate more nonverbally than younger officers. Given the limitations of this study, the findings suggest that additional research on the impact of gender on communication might be beneficial. Additionally, as this study didn't specifically address the impact of age on nonverbal communication, this topic can be a subject for further research as well. The goal of policy advice is to increase the existing knowledge of nonverbal communication by educating the younger police officers from the experience of the more senior officers. Policy interventions aimed at communicative diversity, with the condition that diverse communication is more effective, should take into account the most effective diversity policy, reinstating diversity managers.