NCJ Number
68306
Journal
Police Stress Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (SPRING 1980) Pages: 31-36
Date Published
1980
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A SET OF 24 PROPOSITIONS RELATING TO THE FAMILY PROBLEMS OF POLICEMEN IS OFFERED AS A BASIS FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH TECHNIQUES NEEDED TO REDUCE THE HIGH DIVORCE RATE FOR POLICE MARRIAGES.
Abstract
STUDIES SHOW THAT OVER 90 PERCENT OF THE POLICEMEN FEEL THAT POLICE WORK ADVERSELY AFFECTS THEIR HOME LIFE. PROBLEMS DEVELOP BECAUSE: THE POLICEMAN TAKES HIS JOB PRESSURE HOME, HIS WIFE WORRIES ABOUT HIS SAFETY, THE NEGATIVE PUBLIC IMAGE AFFECTS OFFICERS' WIVES AND CHILDREN, ETC. THE DEVELOPED PROPOSITIONS CATEGORIZE THE POLICE WIFE INTO FOUR DESCRIPTIVE TYPES BASED UPON THE HOME-WORK ORIENTATION (THE WILLING AND UNWILLING HOUSEWIFE, AND THE WILLING AND UNWILLING WORKING WIFE). THE HUSBANDS ARE TYPED ACCORDING TO THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEIR FAMILIES AS 'HOME-BODIES' FOR WHOM THEIR FAMILIES COME FIRST, AND 'POLICE-BUDDIES', WHO SPEND MOST OF THEIR FREE TIME WITH OTHER POLICEMEN AND AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES. THESE TWO MAJOR TYPES COMPRISE THREE SUBTYPES: COWBOY, PLAYBOY, AND KNIGHT. ELEMENTS OF THE MARITAL QUALITY, A DEPENDENT VARIABLE, CONSIST OF COMPONENTS THAT INCLUDE ADJUSTMENT, SATISFACTION, HAPPINESS, CONFLICT AND ROLE STRAIN, COMMUNICATION, AND INTEGRATION. THE 24 PROPOSITIONS THAT ARE FORMULATED SERVE AS PROJECTIONS FOR POSSIBLE CORRELATIONS THAT MIGHT EXIST FROM THE PREVIOUS DEFINITIONS. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT INTIMATE DISCLOSURE OF POLICE FAMILY CONDITIONS MAY POSE A GREATER THREAT TO THE POLICE FAMILY THAN IT WOULD TO A NONPOLICE FAMILY. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.