Breaking the blue wall of silence: Risk factors for experiencing police sexual misconduct among female offenders

L.B. Cottler, C.C. O'Leary, K.B. Nickel, J.M. Reingle and D. Isom

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 2, 338-344

Abstract: Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for trading sex with a police officer among women recruited from drug courts in St Louis, Missouri. Methods. In 2005 to 2008, we recruited women into an HIV intervention study, which surveyed participants about multiple sociodemographic, lifestyle, and risk factors. Regression analyses assessed risk factors for trading sex, a form of police sexual misconduct (PSM). Results. Of the 318 participants, 78 (25%) reported a lifetime history of PSM. Among women who experienced PSM, 96% had sex with an officer on duty, 77% had repeated exchanges, 31% reported rape by an officer, and 54% were offered favors by officers in exchange for sex; 87% said officers kept their promise. Only 51% of these respondents always used a condom with an officer. Multivariable models identified 4 or more arrests (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29, 5.97), adult antisocial personality (AOR = 9.0; 95% CI = 2.08, 38.79), and lifetime comorbid cocaine and opiate use (AOR = 2.9 [1.62, 5.20]) as risk factors; employment (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.77) lowered the risk of PSM. Conclusions. Community-based interventions are critical to reduce risk of abuse of vulnerable women by police officers charged with protecting communities.

Keywords: addiction; adult; article; condom; female; human; lifestyle; mental health; middle aged; police; prevalence; prisoner; rape; risk factor; sexual behavior; socioeconomics; statistics; utilization review; vulnerable population, Adult; Condoms; Female; Humans; Life Style; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Police; Prevalence; Prisoners; Rape; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance-Related Disorders; Vulnerable Populations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301513_4

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301513

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