NCJ Number
131832
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 371-380
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Previously reported research on the causes of stress in police officers with high and low workloads is summarized and compared with similar research on other police departments and related to theories about policing and practical implications for police managers.
Abstract
The Stotland-Pendleton study through questionnaires assessing job difficulty and life-change events showed that stress among low workload police officers was caused by interpersonal relationships within the department, especially with sergeants; whereas high workload patrol officers were not susceptible to stress from this source. In contrast, they appeared to be stressed more by major events in their lives, especially difficult events in their professional work and their personal lives in general. These findings are consistent with Whites,' Wilson's, and Brown's theories for interpreting the differences between high and low workload officers which argue that workload has a heavy influence on the style of policing. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in relation to interpersonal skills of sergeants, officer assignments, psychological support for the officers, and community policing. 33 references (Author abstract modified)