NCJ Number
67890
Journal
Police Product News Volume: 3 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 56-60
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THREE STAGES OF ADAPTATION TO STRESS, THE MEANING OF POLICE STRESS, SOME VARIOUS CAUSES OF POLICE STRESS, AND SOME SOMATIC SYMPTOMS.
Abstract
THE PRACTICE OF NEGATIVELY VIEWING POLICE ANXIETY AND MINIMIZING ITS REALITY REFLECTS A DEHUMANIZED PICTURE OF A POLICE OFFICER THAT IS HELD BY MANY PEOPLE. POLICE STRESS IS REAL AND IS THE RESULT OF A REACTION ON THE PART OF POLICE OFFICERS TO SOME OR ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR JOB. POLICE STRESS CAN RESULT FROM ADMINISTRATIVE CAUSES. THE PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE OF THE POLICE PROMOTES THE CONCEPT OF POWER IN LEADERSHIP, MAKING OPEN COMMUNICATION DIFFICULT FOR THE AVERAGE OFFICER. OFFICERS HAVE LITTLE CHOICE IN PARTNER, SHIFT SELECTION, AND SUPERVISION. SHIFT WORK ITSELF INDUCES STRESS; PATROL BECOMES FRUSTRATING IF CHANGES ARE FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS IF EQUIPMENT IS NOT WORKING. ANOTHER PROMINENT SOURCE OF POLICE ANXIETY IS THE GROWING NUMBER OF LAWSUITS AGAINST OFFICERS WHO HAVE NEITHER UNIONS NOR FUNDS FOR LEGAL DEFENSE. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH POLICE OFFICERS ARE OFFERED LITTLE FORMAL TRAINING AND NO PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES IN LEARNING TO DEAL WITH PSYCHIATRICALLY DISTURBED CITIZENS, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO HANDLE THEM WITH LITTLE OR NO BACKUP FROM OTHER AGENCIES. PERSONAL SOURCES OF POLICE STRESS ALSO EXIST. SUICIDE AND DIVORCE RATES AMONG POLICE OFFICERS ARE UNUSUALLY HIGH AND INDICATE DESPERATE RESPONSES TO ANXIETY. A 1975 STUDY INDICATED THAT POLICE OFFICERS FILE WORK-RELATED PHYSICAL COMPLAINTS SIX TIMES AS OFTEN AS OTHER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AND THESE COMPLAINTS INCLUDED IMPAIRED CONCENTRATION, SLOWED REACTION TIME, IRRITABILITY, EXHAUSTION, AND INCREASED NEED FOR SLEEP AND ENERGY SOURCES, SUCH AS FOOD. A CLOSER LOOK AT POLICE STRESS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY OFFICERS ON PATROL, SCIENTISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND OTHER AUTHORITIES TO RESEARCH ITS CAUSES AND REMEDY THEM. (MJW)