NCJ Number
89677
Date Published
1983
Length
18 pages
Annotation
A questionnaire survey of 173 police officers from four medium-sized, midwestern police departments in Ohio and Indiana revealed differential stress symptoms and reactions to stressors among officers with differing occupational-career orientations.
Abstract
The typical officer in the study was modestly educated, with 10 or fewer years experience, between 21 and 35, male, and a product of a working class home. While 44 percent suffered from moodiness, 33 percent experienced nervous anxiety, and 24 percent were divorced. Between 14 and 17 percent reported loss of self-esteem, arguments at home, or ulcers. Respondents were divided into three groups according to whether they viewed police work as a means to personal reward, an opportunity to obtain satisfaction from working with people, or a professional opportunity to achieve self-perceived potential and use self-perceived talents. Officers with personal reward orientations were generally older, more experienced, and higher ranking. People-oriented officers were characteristically younger, less experienced, and relatively better educated. Professionally motivated officers were the most experienced, the oldest, the least educated, and the lowest ranked. The personal reward group had the highest incidence of ulcers, alcoholism, amd nervous anxiety, but the lowest rates of feelings of loss of self-esteem and arguments at home. The people-oriented respondents reported the highest rates of divorce and arguments at home but were below average in alcoholism, ulcers, and moodiness. Professional officers exhibited high rates of stress symptoms regarding moodiness, nervous anxiety, and feelings of loss of self-esteem. All complained about unresponsive judges and uncooperative prosecutors. Tables, 6 footnotes, and 28 references are provided.