The act of enforcing laws and keeping order in a community, or keeping watch over something to make sure rules are followed.
From French 'police,' which comes from Greek 'politeia' meaning 'government' or 'citizenship.' Modern police forces developed in Europe during the 1600s-1700s as cities grew larger and needed organized law enforcement.
Modern policing is much different from 300 years ago when police didn't exist—constables and town watches were the first organized law enforcement! Most police today go through training in psychology and conflict resolution, not just enforcement, because crime prevention is more effective than punishment.
Term 'policing' extended to behavior regulation often assumes enforcement role. Women historically over-policed for appearance/sexuality (dress codes, 'calling out') while under-protected. Language reflects this asymmetry.
Use carefully; specify WHO enforces and what rules. Prefer 'establishing boundaries,' 'accountability,' or 'oversight' to avoid gendered double-standard implications.
["establishing boundaries","accountability","oversight","monitoring"]
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