Suicide and the Police Culture (From Police Suicide: Tactics for Prevention, P 66-75, 2003, Dell P. Hackett, and John M. Violanti, eds., -- See NCJ-199787)

• NCJ Number: 199791
• Author(s): John M. Violanti
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter discusses the police subculture and suicide.

Abstract

Entry into law enforcement involves a process of abrupt change from citizen to police officer. This process is very strong in basic police training and continues to dominate officers’ lives throughout their careers. Socialization begins early in police training, which attempts to instill a sense of superhuman emotional strength in officers. Police officers can become addicted to excitement and danger, which can decrease the individual’s ability to assess the nature of current challenges and interfere with rational decision processes. Police officers, through psychological and physiological mechanisms, become ingrained in police work and isolated from other life roles such as family, friendships, or community involvement. Subsequent psychological depression and social isolation may result. The police organization may strongly demand individual adherence to the police role by the behavior and structure of the environment. The actions of police organization, such as placing officers on the defensive, may lead to stress in officers. The informal police culture also places pressures on officers to conform to requirements such as loyalty and a prescribed code of secrecy. Being ingrained in the police role can reduce one’s ability to deal with stress inside and outside of police work. Reasoning, social, and inflexible styles associated with the police hinder effective coping with stress and heighten risk factors associated with the potential for suicide. Police officers tend to view reality as a “black and white” and are often inflexible in their thinking. Good adjustment involves being able to view frustrating life situations from many angles rather than simply black and white. Problems with interpersonal relationships may increase the potential for suicide. Police officers seem to have problems with personal relationships. Dependence on the police role may affect relationships with peers. Police relationships with society at large are also affected by police culture identity. 34 references