NCJ Number
58005
Date Published
1978
Length
235 pages
Annotation
THE BACKGROUNDS, ATTITUDES, AND PERFORMANCE OF MALES AND FEMALES RECRUITED AND TRAINED FOR THE COMBAT-RELATED ROLE OF U.S. AIR FORCE SECURITY SPECIALISTS ARE COMPARED.
Abstract
THE SECURITY SPECIALTY BRANCH OF THE AIR FORCE SECURITY POLICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING RESOURCES (NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND STORAGE SITES, AIRCRAFT, MISSILES, ETC.) AGAINST TERRORISTS AND OTHER THREATS. WHEN 199 WOMEN AND 199 MEN RECRUITED AND TRAINED AS SECURITY SPECIALISTS WERE COMPARED, IT WAS FOUND THAT NEITHER SEX OUTPERFORMED THE OTHER. OF THE ORIGINAL TRAINING GROUPS, 100 FEMALES COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, COMPARED TO 157 MALES. THE HIGHER ATTRITION RATE FOR WOMEN MAY BE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WOMEN WERE UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE, KNOWING THAT THEIR PERFORMANCE WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER THE SECURITY SPECIALTY WOULD REMAIN OPEN TO WOMEN. FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SCORES ON THE ARMED SERVICES VOCATIONAL APTITUDE BATTERY WERE CONSISTENTLY RELATED TO PERFORMANCE. GENERAL SCORES ON THE VOCATIONAL TEST, AIR FORCE QUALIFYING TEST SCORES, AND EDUCATIONAL LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO SECURITY POLICE ACADEMY GRADES, BUT THE RELATIONSHIP PROBABLY REFLECTED THE SUBJECTS' EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND TEST-TAKING ABILITY. RACE, RELIGION, AND AGE BORE NO RELATIONSHIP TO PERFORMANCE. BOTH MALES AND FEMALES QUESTIONED THE JOB RELATEDNESS OF THE PHYSICAL SCREENING TEST FOR THE POSITION, BOTH (ESPECIALLY MALES) WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR RECRUITING EXPERIENCE, AND BOTH (ESPECIALLY FEMALES) EXPRESSED POSITIVE VIEWS OF THEIR TRAINING. NEITHER MALES NOR FEMALES FELT THEY HAD BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THEIR FIELD ASSIGNMENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECRUITING, SCREENING, AND TRAINING SECURITY SPECIALISTS ARE PRESENTED. A LITERATURE REVIEW (COVERING WOMEN IN POLICE ROLES GENERALLY), SUPPORTING DATA, STUDY INSTRUMENTS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)