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Occupational Prestige of Law Enforcement Officers: Quantifying Self and Public Perceptions of Prestige.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Occupational Prestige of Law Enforcement Officers: Quantifying Self and Public Perceptions of Prestige.
Authors: Alfaro Hudak, Katelin M. (AUTHOR), Combs, Aidan (AUTHOR), Freeland, Robert E. (AUTHOR), Mumford, Elizabeth A. (AUTHOR)
Source: Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell). Jul2025, Vol. 106 Issue 4, p1-11. 11p.
Subjects: Public opinion, Killings by police, Public officers, Social processes, Police, Occupational prestige
Abstract: Objective: Perceptions of occupational prestige are commonly associated with job satisfaction and job turnover intentions, but little is known about how law enforcement officers (LEOs) view the prestige of policing. We quantify how LEOs rate the prestige of policing and how they think their communities view policing. We evaluate the extent to which LEO understandings of public perceptions match actual public perceptions. Methods: We estimated occupational prestige using traditional and multidimensional measures in a nationally representative sample of LEOs. Results: Officers view their occupation as more prestigious, morally good, and active, but less powerful than they believe the public sees it. Officers' understandings of public view of policing are more pessimistic than warranted by the public's actual views. Officers viewed their occupations as less prestigious and believed the public's perceptions of the prestige and "goodness" of policing were significantly lower following the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic and George Floyd's murder. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need to study social psychological processes involved in officer self‐perceptions and their understanding of the communities with which they interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:Objective: Perceptions of occupational prestige are commonly associated with job satisfaction and job turnover intentions, but little is known about how law enforcement officers (LEOs) view the prestige of policing. We quantify how LEOs rate the prestige of policing and how they think their communities view policing. We evaluate the extent to which LEO understandings of public perceptions match actual public perceptions. Methods: We estimated occupational prestige using traditional and multidimensional measures in a nationally representative sample of LEOs. Results: Officers view their occupation as more prestigious, morally good, and active, but less powerful than they believe the public sees it. Officers' understandings of public view of policing are more pessimistic than warranted by the public's actual views. Officers viewed their occupations as less prestigious and believed the public's perceptions of the prestige and "goodness" of policing were significantly lower following the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic and George Floyd's murder. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need to study social psychological processes involved in officer self‐perceptions and their understanding of the communities with which they interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00384941
DOI:10.1111/ssqu.70062