Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 1
Article Critique
Maria Hensley
School of Criminal Justice: Cybercrime Investigation, Liberty University
CJUS 500, Dr. Obinyan
September 28, 2025
Abstract
When we speak of police subculture, we usually refer to the shared behaviors of police
officers that distinguish them from the broader society, shaped by the dangers of law
enforcement, social demands, and peer interaction norms, such as the “the blue code of
silence.” The blue code of silence is an unspoken oath, usually in reference to misconduct,
among the police culture that means, “what happens among the uniformed blue, stays between
the uniformed blue.”
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 2
However, there are many unwilling uniformed blue participants, and the majority are
female police officers. Just as male officers are expected to uphold the blue code of silence,
female officers are also expected to do so, often for reasons of loyalty and solidarity. Female
officers face gender-based discrimination and retaliation, which adds to the pressure of their
already complicated position within the police culture. A 2022 study of recruits in US police
academies showed that the experience strengthened their adherence to the code of silence,
regardless of gender (Buelher, 2024). Female police officers both participate in and are
victimized by the "blue code of silence".
In Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall", God gave a
direct warning against the arrogance inherent in subcultures for the internal dynamics of an
insular and self-important group, which holds the idea that this one group is favored based on
its social standing, face humility, and the dangers of pride.
Article Critique
Reading ‘No one likes a grass’ Female police officers’ experience of workplace sexual
harassment: A qualitative study' article showed me a deeper side to police subculture within the
precinct's walls. While most people usually characterize police subculture from the fatal horror
stories about excessive or deadly force, this article took a closer look from within the police
culture, peer-to-peer police subcultures beyond the blue code of silence.
It is well known that historically, women have not been treated equally in society, and
working as a police officer within a den of male peers comes with a price.
After decades of waging war for the right to be educated, vote, have a career outside of
the home, and to become the Vice President of the United States, women are more likely to be
subjected to workplace harassment.
The behavior of male dominance of authority is no secret when it comes to police
officers. Now, add a few women in blue uniforms to this picture. Female police officers are often
perceived as intruders among their male peers. Because of this, they are not only subjected to
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 3
bullying and gender-based violence but also to relentless sexual harassment. Unfortunately,
male police officers often use the blue code of silence to perpetuate such behavior without any
recourse. Sexual harassment and the unspoken oath amongst the men and women in blue is a
concern at the National level, yet there are no mitigating plans or reforms that have been
adopted as of yet.
Article 1-Background
In civil uniformed services, such as the Military, namely the police, there is a high
concern with sexual harassment being experienced by many, with the numbers increasing in
field reports of sexual harassment filed by female officers against their male counterparts. A
survey
of policewomen from 35 countries uncovered that 77% of officers have been victims of sexual
harassment by a male colleague at least once (Brown et al., 2000).
While loyalty to colleagues is a factor, women are often seen as an interference when
they enter male-dominated workforces, as they are not welcomed to their new jobs because
the men feel these positions are not suitable for them.
Article 1 - Critique of Strengths and Weaknesses of the Article
Strengths
•Sociosexual theorists believe that gendered stereotypes contribute to sexual
harassment, men are sexual agents and women are sexual objects (McDonald, 2011).
•According to this theory, sexual harassment occurs more in male-dominated
workplaces because for a woman, her singular most distinct feature is her gender. In
contrast, for men, greater value is placed on masculine qualities such as dominance
and aggression
(Bergman & Henning, 2008).
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 4
Weaknesses
•The ‘blue wall of silence’ is underpinned by faithfulness and allegiance (Wieslander,
2018). Reporting another officer is a profound betrayal of the ‘police family’ code of
trust and loyalty.
•The Ministry of Defence (2015) revealed that 90% of those serving in the army have
heard sexualised stories and jokes.
Article 2-Background
“How the duty to report prevents reporting and reinforces silence around sexual
harassment within the police” article sheds light on the responsibility and Oath that police
officers swear to uphold, which is the duty to report. However, putting that aside, how about
the duty to protect? Would that not mean that the individual police officer's misconduct should
be reported by his peers who witness it, knowing that the female officer is too afraid of
retaliation for breaking the blue code of silence?
A duty to report falls into the hands of the professionals with authority, such as teachers
who suspect or witness child abuse. The level of conscience that police officers possess or lack is
beyond my imagination. Male dominance feeds the egos of these authority figures. Female
police officers who are victimized must carry a heavy load in their hearts as well. The fact that
they go out and help other victims and advocate the importance of reporting to the police has
to weigh on their guilt.
Article 2 - Critique of Strengths and Weaknesses of the Article
Strengths
•While # MeToo made a difference in that sexual harassment was taken more seriously
within the Swedish police, it also directed the focus of attention towards reporting.
•The duty to report thus means that if someone discloses an experience of sexual
harassment to a police officer that might constitute, for instance, sexual molestation or
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 5
sexual assault, a complaint must be filed, or the police officer might be guilty of
misconduct.
Weaknesses
•One might think that the combination of an abundance of testimonies of sexual
harassment within the police and sworn police officers’ duty to report would imply a high
number of reports of sexual harassment within the organization.
•One of the initiators of the # MeToo call was herself reported for misconduct as a police
officer, for not having reported her knowledge of the sexual harassment to the police
(see Bjurwald and Dejemyr, 2022).
Summary of Articles
Male police officers do not just hurt civilians, but also their own. Female police officers
who violate the blue code of silence are made examples of for other police officers to use as a
tool to gain even more authority and rewards. Sexual harassment is a serious issue within the
police force, and the duty to report such crimes is just as concerning.
Conclusion: Personal Reflection, Position, and Christian Worldview Some
studies suggest that increasing gender diversity could help address issues related to the code of
silence by providing different perspectives and skill sets. However, culture change is a long
process that requires supportive leadership and protection for whistleblowers. Jesus
superseded all barriers of race, culture, and ethnicity with His death on the cross. Paul wrote of
the uniting of Jew and Gentile in Ephesians 2:14: “For he himself is our peace, who has made
the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”
While the blue code of silence has long vexed the pursuit of safe, effective, and
constitutional policing, it has finally begun to crack (Torres et al., 2023). There is much reform
within this subculture, particularly in addressing the unspoken “blue code of silence” oath that
needs to be broken. How can we as a society trust that our government “protect and serve”
uniformed officers are using ethical and moral judgments when out on the streets, when
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 6
dealing with unlawful civilians, if they are not even using ethical or moral judgments to their
trusted peers? Let us start by focusing on ethnocentrism within the walls that bind the
subcultures of blue blood, and then work our way outward. Once the internal issues are
addressed, we can then shift our focus to the outward-looking mission of breaking down
societal and cultural barriers.
God had a universal plan for humanity, and this plan did not include prejudices toward
those outside or inside one's own group.
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and
female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus". This verse is a powerful and direct rebuke of any
form of ethnocentrism or social division within the body of believers.”
Article Critique: Police Ethnocentricity, Subculture, and Historical Evolution 7
References
Davis, H., Lawrence, S., Wilson, E., Sweeting, F., & Poate-Joyner, A. (2023). ‘No one likes a grass’
Female police officers’ experience of workplace sexual harassment: A qualitative study.
International Journal of Police Science & Management, 25(2), 183–195.
https://doi.org/10.1177/14613557231157185 (Original work published 2023)
Emily D. Buehler. (2024). State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies and Recruits,
2022 – Statistical Tables. Retrieved from https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/state-and-
locallaw-enforcement-training-academies-and-recruits-2022
Lundgren, S., & Wieslander, M. (2024). How the duty to report prevents reporting and
reinforces silence around sexual harassment within the police. Retrieved from
https://academic.oup.com/policing/article/doi/10.1093/police/paae032/7614892
Newburn, T. (2022). The inevitable fallibility of policing. Policing and Society, 32(3), 434–450.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2022.2037557
New testament with psalms and proverbs: NIV. (2011). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Rivera, M. A., & Ward, J. D. (2017). Toward an Analytical Framework for the Study of Race and
Police Violence. Public Administration Review, 77(2), 242–250.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/26648236
Torres, M., & Curiel, F. (2023, September/October). Cracking the blue wall of silence: A
necessary step for police reform. GPSolo Magazine.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/gpsolo/resources/magazine/2023-september-october/
cracking-blue-wall-silence-necessary-step-police-
reform/
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