POLICEWOMEN, POLICEMEN, OR BOTH?: RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING IMPLICATIONS FOR RESPONSES TO WOMAN BATTERING

Since the 1970s,police training andrecruitment has beenimpactedby twofeministconcems: thelow number of female officersand charges of ineffective responses to women victims of male violence. This study analyzes 324 law enforcement officers ’ responses as to whether policewomen, policemen, or a combination are best suited to respond to woman battering overall, battering victims, and batterers. In addition, the analysis accounts for therelationshipbetween officers, demographic char-acteristics and their responses. In short, the findings of this study suggest that policemen are less enthusiastic about policewomen’s contributions to policing woman battering, than policewomen are of policemen’s contributions. Further, the only demographic character