New staff forced to prove themselves in the ‘pecking order’ and feel pressure to join in masculine drinking cultures, report finds
Female police officers are still expected to make the tea for their male colleagues in order to fit in and gain acceptance, according to a report.
New officers are forced to find their place in the “pecking order”, even if that means participating in outdated initiation traditions, researchers have found.
While all starters are expected to “brew up” for higher ranking and more experienced colleagues, female officers reported being subjected to longer periods of initiation than their male counterparts.
One female officer interviewed for the study said: “I was the only female on our shift … I was the person who brewed up for five years. Every single brew.”