NCJ Number
180487
Editor(s)
John M. Violanti Ph.D.,
Douglas Paton Ph.D.
Date Published
1999
Length
337 pages
Annotation
This book addresses the psychological impact of police civilian combat and indicates that police officers are exposed to distressing events throughout their careers that go beyond the experiences of ordinary citizens and thus need help in dealing with traumatic events.
Abstract
Mental health and other professionals need to be aware of the conditions and the precipitants of trauma stress among police officers, and the book provides relevant information based on the idea that trauma stress is the result of complex interactions among person, place, situation, support mechanisms, and interventions. Essays on special groups in policing and innovative ideas on the recovery and treatment of trauma are presented. The information can be used to prevent or minimize trauma stress and to establish improved support and therapeutic measures for police officers. Book chapters fall under three sections: (1) conceptual and methodological issues; (2) special police populations; and (3) recovery and treatment. Chapters specifically address such topics as research on trauma stress among police officers, police compassion fatigue, psychological burnout, vulnerability to psychological disorders, chronic exposure to risk and trauma, effects of exposure to violence, incident response and recovery management, death in the line of duty, police suicide, post-intervention strategies to reduce police trauma, and issues for future consideration. A compassion satisfaction/fatigue self-test is appended. References, tables, and figures