Police Officers' Attitude Towards Gender-Based Violence in Kirkos Sub-City, Addis Ababa
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of the study is to investigate police officers' allitude towards gender-based violence in
Kirkos Sub -City of Addis Ababa. To allain this objective, both primary and secondary data co llection
methods were used. The secondary data were gath ered through critical review of related conceptual,
th eo retical, empirical studie s as well as policies at th e international, regional and national levels.
Th e primary data wer e collected through quantitative and qualitative methods. Th e survey ques ti onnaire
was use d to gather th e relevant quantitative data which were analyzed through statistical techniques such
as percentage, mean, median and standard deviation. The qualitative data were gathered through focus
group discussions. in-dep th interviews with vic tim s, key informan ts and police officers. Finally, th e
findings of th e study were thematica lly organized and analyz ed through tri angulation of various data
sources to increase th e validity and reliability of th e findings of th e study.
It was found that gender-based violence is prevalent ill th e study area, but it is not adequately reported
since it affect s the vi ctim s who are in a relatively lower status in terms of age, socio-economic status and
power relations. The police officers in the study area have positiv e allitude towards community polic in g
system, but they do not practice it to prevent and mitigate GB V crimes.
It was also found that th ere is no clear gender difference in th e allitude of police officers towards GB V.
Th e police officers appl ication and scope of GBV crim inality is mostly related to sexual violence only;
their allit ude towards WOmen and girls was found to be not positive in that th ey see women and girls as
subordinate to men and boys; vi ewin g some of the victims as suspec ts, blaming them for the violence they
exp erienced and e ven being the perpetr ators in some cases; it can be argued that the polic e officers do
not have positiv e allitude towards preventing and mitigating GBV crimes. Thus , th e police officers under
study, esp ecially those who are directly related to GB V in th e study area do not have an attitude that
enhances the report rate and decrease th e prevalence rate ofGBV
Finally , th e study recommends the need for further inves tigation on issues related to police oJjicers
allitude towards victims and gender difference in the allitude of police officers towards GBV. Trainings
should also be g iven for police officers in order to improve their understanding of th e scop e and
criminality ofGBV, the ir altitude t owards vict ims, WOmen and their altitudes towards GBV.
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Keywords
Attitude Towards Gender-Based Violence