NCJ Number
223425
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice: An International Journal Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 231-239
Date Published
July 2008
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined police stress and coping strategies in South Korea.
Abstract
The study found that reports of being ridiculed and “set up” in dangerous situations, and to a lesser extent, lack of support from superiors and perceived disrespect from the public, were salient predictors of police stress. Coping strategies did not moderate the associations between stressors and stress however, support from superiors had a modest direct association with lower levels of stress. The findings were interpreted in relation to collectivist culture and possible points of intervention. The article extends prior research to identify the predictors of police stress from work place problems, the resources available through social support, different strategies for coping with stress, and conditions unique to policing in South Korea, such as perceived public perception of police and attitudes towards women working outside of the home. Data were obtained from 686 out of 700 officers that were asked to participate in the research, a 96 percent response rate. Most of the data was collected through the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency, which serves 1 of Korea’s 14 provinces. An additional 100 female police officers from other areas were asked to participate to obtain a sample representative of the national police population. Tables, notes, appendixes A-B, and references