EMOTIONAL CONTROL TRAINING AND RELATED STRESS REDUCTION METHODS

• NCJ Number: 65994
• Author(s): B SWANTON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT SEMINAR ON TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS FOR PERSONNEL IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AUSTRALIA 1977

Annotation

THIS PAPER PRESENTS STRESS CONTROL METHODS SUGGESTED FOR POSSIBLE ADAPTATION TO AUSTRALIAN POLICE TRAINING PROGRAMS.

Abstract

STRESSORS IN POLICE AND CORRECTIONAL WORK ARE NUMEROUS AND RANGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF A POLICE OFFICER'S LIFE. PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO STRESS STIMULI ARE INTENSE, AND CONTINUAL EXPOSURE TO STRESSFUL CIRCUMSTANCES CAN RESULT IN DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON A PERSON'S PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. STRESS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH STATES AS ANXIETY NEUROSIS, DIABETES MELLITUS, HYPERTENSION, ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, GASTRIC ULCERS, COLITIS, ICZEMA, DERMATITIS, AND PERHAPS MIGRAINE. EMOTIONAL CONTROL TRAINING IS AIMED AT REDUCING WORK-RELATED STRESS, AND THEREBY ENHANCING PERSONNEL OVERALL HEALTH AND WORK PERFORMANCE. ONE METHOD OF REDUCING INTENSITY OF REACTION IS HABITUATION. A PROGRAM OF TAPED PROVOCATIVE MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRADED IN SEVEN VIDEOTAPED SEQUENCES FROM MILD TO VIOLENCE THREATENING CONTENT IN ORDER TO MONITOR RECRUITS' STRESS REACTIONS TO ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR AND GUIDE THEM TOWARD DESIRABLE, CONTROLLED RESPONSES. SELF-RELAXATION, TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION, AND BIOFEEDBACK ARE OTHER METHODS USED FOR STRESS REDUCTION. POLICE TRAINING PROGRAMMERS SHOULD CONSIDER THESE METHODS WHEN DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES ACCEPTABLE FOR THE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MRK)