Participant information sheets and agreement forms were signed prior to beginning the survey, to ensure that consent was given at each stage of data collection. As the survey was made up of two different scales, consent was also sought after the completion of each scale. This meant that if someone consented at the end of the first scale, the data relating to the first scale would be used in analysis, regardless of whether the completed/consent to the second scale. This was explained to participants at the beginning of the survey.

The risk of disclosing participants' identities was mitigated by removing names and other identifying information. As police force, department, and any demographic information could have led to identification, the variables have been collapsed into broader categories to assist in anonymisation.