Determinants of Women Immigrants’ Confidence in the Police

Prit Kaur1

Abstract
In 2015, women immigrants outnumbered immigrant men in the US, and
there is a growing concern about the needs and resources required to assimilate
them into American society. This study attempts to (i) explain the gendered nature
of migration that makes immigrant women a „special attention group‟ and (ii)
explore the level and determinants of their confidence in the police. Analysis of
data from the World Value Survey on immigration status, demographic factors,
and confidence levels in the police, shows that 47.7% of immigrant women, in
comparison to 25.7% of native-born women, have little or no confidence in the
police. Furthermore, „safety and security‟ for immigrant women; „social class‟ for
native-born women and „ethnicity‟ for immigrant men along with „safety and
security‟, are key determinants of confidence in the police. This has implications
for programs, policies, and agencies to better serve immigrant women.

Keywords: Gender, Women Migration, Police–Community Relations,
International Labour