Los Efectos del Sexo y del Autoritarismo en la Legitimación de los Abusos Policiales

This research analyzes whether authoritarianism increases support for police abuse and if the effect is greater in men than in women. In addition, it explores whether fusion with the police, a predictor of extreme behavior, can mediate that effect. An exploratory correlational study was carried out with 149 Spaniards, in which two levels of police force were established, reasonable and excessive. The results showed a direct association between authoritarianism and support for the use of police force and an indirect association through fusion. Furthermore, the effects of authoritarianism on support for the use of police force were found to be stronger in men than in women, but only when the force used was excessive. These results suggest that ideological factors and psychosocial variables such as fusion and gender roles play a role in the legitimation of police excesses.