Gender and ethnic differences in social constraints among a sample of New York City police officers.

Gender and ethnic differences in social constraints on and off the job among a sample of 372 police officers was examined. Positive and negative social interactions with supervisors and coworkers, and perceptions of the work environment as well as support and resentment of the job from family and significant others, was included. As hypothesized, women and minority men reported more negative social interactions on the job, such as criticism, bias, and sexual harassment. Few differences were observed for positive social interactions on or off the job, and where differences emerged, women and minority men reported more favorable social interactions. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for intervention, policy, and future research.