NCJ Number
224266
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: Autumn 2008 Pages: 267-279
Date Published
2008
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Drawing on secondary data from Smith’s 1985 research on spirituality in the police force, this paper explores the connections between the physiological and emotional aspects of trauma and the conditions in which police in the United Kingdom work.
Abstract
This paper suggests those police officers’ reports of the work they do, and the way in which they learn to live with it keeps them in an ongoing cycle of retraumatisation. It is also suggested that there is a need to take into account the physiological, social, as well as psychological (or attitudinal) aspects of working in traumatic conditions if adequate training support is to be provided to police officers, so that they are not left isolated in this cycle. Operational police officers often work in traumatic situations. While training and support is provided to officers in these areas in the United Kingdom, as well as some debriefing and counseling, this is not fully effective in addressing the so-called attitudinal problem of the police. It is thought that one of the reasons for this is that police training does not adequately address the effects of working in traumatic conditions, and does not take into account new work in the area of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that its effects are not necessarily a mental disorder but are caused by physiological and emotional changes in the body. In light of current trauma theory, this paper reanalyzes the data from prior research, exploring the possibilities for enhancing the spiritual dimension of police training and identifying that an officer in an operational role could be expected to be involved in a wide array of challenging and sometimes life-threatening conditions, and considers trauma theory in relation to the culture and conditions in which the police force in the United Kingdom operate. References