An Exploratory Study Assessing Relations of Demographic Characteristics with Police Recruits' Attitudes toward Abuse of Children and Abusive Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the relationships of demographic characteristics with attitudes toward abusive parents and abused children in a convenience sample of 183 police recruits. Police academy training staff invited recruits to complete a questionnaire which contained three vignettes and a 36-item questionnaire that depicted child neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and demographic information. Analysis of responses showed that African Americans and Latinos reported more negative attitudes of anger, disgust, sadness, and discomfort toward an abusive parent than the Euro-American group. Women reported more negative attitudes toward an abused child and also more positive attitudes of sympathy and caring toward an abused child. Results partially support previous research suggesting demographic characteristics influence report of attitudes toward abusive parents and abused children. These findings about the influence of demographic characteristics on positive and negative emotional reactions toward abusive parents and abused children add to the literature.