NCJ Number
152477
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: (October 1994) Pages: 35-37
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A survey was administered in 1983 to assess police officer reactions to postshooting trauma, and the survey was repeated in 10 years later in the same police department.
Abstract
Of 730 surveys distributed in the 1983 survey, 164 were returned (22 percent). Police officers were asked to describe their involvement in and reactions to shooting situations. Based on the survey findings, the police department authorized the formation of a Critical Incident Response Team. This team repeated the survey of postshooting trauma in 1993. Of 720 surveys distributed, 356 were returned (49 percent). The increase in the response rate between 1983 and 1993 suggested that police officers were more aware of critical incident stress. The 1993 survey defined a critical incident as an incident with the capacity to generate profound emotion and/or distress. Most police officers reported that their most significant critical incident occurred sometime during the first 5 years in the police department. The most frequently reported type of critical incident involved the death or serious injury of a fellow police officer. Police officers identified their reactions during or after the critical incident, such as a sense of slow motion, a sense of detachment, and tunnel vision. The most frequently reported physical reactions by police officers were an adrenaline surge, crying, and tremors. Other reactions included profuse perspiration, dizziness, involuntary laughter, vomiting, involuntary urination, extreme fatigue, and headache. Frequently reported emotional reactions included disbelief, anger, and fear. Other emotional reactions involved guilt, elation, shame, loss of patience, preoccupation with the incident, sadness, and depression. Police officers experienced delayed reactions as well, such as flashbacks, insomnia, sadness, depression, anxiety, and fear of a similar incident. Police officers dealt with the critical incident by talking with fellow officers, acceptance, denial, talking with their families, taking pills, adopting a fatalistic attitude, and professional counseling. Most police officers expressed a desire to have a member of the Critical Incident Response Team available for support. Findings from the 1993 survey validated findings of the 1983 study, the main difference being a much higher response rate.