Bureau of Justice Assistance VALOR Program and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE): Stressors Faced by Women in Law Enforcement

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

8:15 AM – 9:30 AM PST

Location: Room: 6B

Speaker(s)

Deborah Meader

Senior Policy Advisor
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Sonia Quiñones

Senior Research Associate
Institute for Intergovernmental Research
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Laura King, PhD

Chief of Police
McHenry County Conservation District Police Department, Illinois
Woodstock, Illinois, United States
Gina Hawkins

Chief of Police
Fayetteville Police Department, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States
Kym Craven

Executive Director
National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
West Townsend, Massachusetts, United States

This presentation will address the challenges that women law enforcement executives face while performing their jobs in a male-dominated profession. It may be difficult to address the differences men and women face in law enforcement, but they communicate, work, and lead differently. According to Castelhano et al. (2012), surveys show that female officers perceived that they were subjected to more criticism than their male counterparts due to masculine values that support and advance masculinity and negatively impact female officers’ mental and physical health. Attendees of this presentation will learn healthy coping mechanisms for their unique stressors that allow them to emerge stronger and more resilient to continue to be valued members of their agency, community, and family.