NCJ Number
176743
Journal
American Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 1994 Pages: 219-234
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This research found that female and male correctional officers experience similar levels of occupational stress, as measured both objectively and subjectively.
Abstract
Data for this study were obtained in 1988 as part of a larger study of corrections officers (COs). A sample of 1,000 COs was drawn from the approximately 6,300 officers employed by the Michigan State Department of Corrections. The officers were selected from all 25 institutional facilities and 5 of the 15 correctional camps. The sample was stratified to include representative subpopulations on the following sociodemographic and work-related variables: gender, race/ethnicity, seniority, job classification, facility security level, and gender of the institution's inmate population. Five categories of stress outcomes were measured: objective workplace outcomes (e.g., number of absences from work, number of demotions, amount of sick leave use); objective health outcomes (blood pressure, pulse rate, obesity); subjective workplace outcomes (e.g., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishments); subjective health outcomes (e.g., emotional distress, physical distress, use of medication); and subjective relationships and life satisfaction. Data on objective stress outcomes were collected from two sources: objective work-performance data and objective health data. to measure subjective stress outcomes, a questionnaire was administered to the sample of corrections officers. A number of statistically significant relationships were observed between gender and many of the outcomes of stress; however, the measured differences between female and male COs on the majority of these variables were small in magnitude. Women, particularly black women, were more likely to have been absent and tardy, and they were more likely to have taken sick leave than their male counterparts. This finding may be explained, in part, by the family demands on these women. Women received more counseling slips than men, but this difference may result from their higher rate of absenteeism and tardiness. Women were less likely than men to have filed a stress or assault-related workman's compensation claim, and women reported significantly less tendency to depersonalize inmates and reported fewer feelings of self-estrangement. Women were more likely to report physical distress and disorders and to have been hospitalized. The statistically significant yet modest relationships found between gender and stress outcomes raises questions about the validity of claims that female corrections officers experience higher levels of stress. 2 tables, 26 references, and appended descriptive information about variables used in the study