The Backbone and the Achilles’ Heel: Rethinking Masculinity in Policing
Rachel Rogers, a psychologist with years of clinical experience working with police officers, presents her doctoral research findings on policing culture and male officer mental health.
The masculine code in policing provides steadiness, camaraderie, and a bias for action, but also limits the pathway to care when strength is defined as never bending.
Control them, contain them, convert them into humour or action.
Based on her research with UK male officers, Rogers argues for a new honour code, including credible confidentiality, culturally competent care, restored safe spaces, and language that aligns help-seeking with operational strategy.
Holding the Line: The Spine of Masculinity from Boyhood to Brotherhood
From boyhood to brotherhood, men learn to manage their feelings by controlling, containing, and converting them into humour or action.
Author's summary: Rethinking policing's masculine code is crucial for officer mental health.
- Credible confidentiality
- Culturally competent care
- Restored safe spaces
- Language that aligns help-seeking with operational strategy