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

Publisher: American Public Health Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 1254074 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1541-0048 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00900036 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Washington, DC : American Public Health Association
Original Publication: New York [etc.]

Police/*statistics & numerical data ; Prisoners/*statistics & numerical data ; Sexual Behavior/*statistics & numerical data; Adult ; Condoms/statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Rape/statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology ; Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data

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.

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R01 NR009180 United States NR NINR NIH HHS

Date Created: 20131217 Date Completed: 20140317 Latest Revision: 20211021

20240104

PMC3935713

10.2105/AJPH.2013.301513

24328629