Occupational stress and its consequences among police officers

Police Stress

Preventing Police Officer Stress

The stresses that police officers face as a part of their daily job often make it difficult to maintain a normal life. Police officers are more likely to experience divorce or be the perpetrators of domestic violence than the public. In addition, they also have a significantly higher suicide rate than the public. Police officers experiencing incredible strain on the job are a serious problem for administrators and managers. Often, the stress that a police officer experiences are beyond anyone's control. They must cope with the situation that they are dealt. This research concludes that administrators and managers must play an active role in reducing stress of the officers under their charger. It explores positive steps that can be taken to reduce officer stress and prevent many of the consequences of this stress.

Preventing Police Officer Stress

Introduction

No one will argue that the job of a police officer is one of the most stressful of any occupation. Dedicated police officers place their lives on the line to defend and protect citizens that they do not even know. They work long hours, face hazards to life and limbs, and often for little pay as compared to other professions. Police officers face an incredible amount of stress in their daily lives. Police stress is a major leading cause of suicide, divorce, and domestic violence among police officers. The purpose of this study will be to explore figures regarding the affects of police officer stress and to examine what agencies are doing to prevent these issues.

Police Stress

Key Issues

Stress among police officers stems from multiple sources. Not only are they stressed by their normal job duties Racial, gender bias, and a lack of influence over their work activities have been identified as key factors in police stress (Morash, Haarr, & Kwak, 2006). Other conditions, such has high crime rate communities, the size of the community, and token status within the police organization are also contributing factors to this stress (Morash, Haarr, & Kwak, 2006). Police officers often receive little support from their families and co-workers (Morash, Haarr, & Kwak, 2006). These conditions were found to be highly predictive in terms of stress among police officers.

The degree of stress associated with being a police officer contributes to many social problems among officers. Although studies differ slightly, it is accepted that police officers are more likely to experience divorce, alcoholism, domestic violence, and suicide than the average citizen. Depending on the study, the divorce rate among police officers is 60-70% higher than the national average (Police Dynamics Institute, Inc., 2006). The alcoholism rate is twice that of the national average and the domestic violence rate is highest of all professions (Police Dynamics Institute, Inc., 2006). Police officers are 3 times higher than the national average to commit suicide (Police Dynamics Institute, Inc., 2006). These statistics are ironic, considering that many times their job entails responding to calls about the very same things.

Suicide Rate and Causes of Suicide Among Officers

Police Officer suicide is a topic that is often ignored in law enforcement circles. Acknowledgment that police officers commit suicide as a result of stresses on the job is often ignored. It would be considered poor public policy to release such information that might undermine public trust in the ability of officers to perform their duties. However, it is even a greater atrocity to ignore the issue.

One of the key stressors found to affect police officers in a serious manner is when a perpetrator uses them as a means to commit their own suicide (Brown, 2003). When an officer is used as the means to assist another in their own suicide, it can lead to the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Police officers are expected to put on an air of "being OK" even after an event that harms them deeply (Brown, 2003). However, many times after a traumatic incident on the job they are no OK, they are seriously mentally compromised. Yet, they face stigma if they admit their problems and seek help (Brown, 2003).

Suicide among police officers occurs for the same reason that it occurs in anyone else. When the pain exceeds the person's coping resources, they are in danger of committing suicide (Metanoia.org, 2006). One differences between police stress and the stress of others is that police stress is chronic. Another thing that makes it different is that is not always so obvious. Police officers are expected to be able to handle situations on a daily basis that would be considered a traumatic event for the average citizen. Every time they make a traffic stop or confront someone, they run the risk of injury or death.

It might be noted that not all research agrees that suicide rates are higher among police officers. Several studies indicate that these conclusions were based on biased samples and that they cannot be considered conclusive (Curran, 2003). One study by Aamodt & Stalmaker found that police officers are 26% less likely to commit suicide than the general public (Curran, 2003). Although, conflicting statistical evidence exists regarding suicide rates, as compared to the national average, this still does not minimize suicide as a serious consequence of stress among officers.

Divorce Rate and Domestic Violence Among Officers

The stresses that are placed on the police officer do not end when the police officer goes home. Often stresses on the job bleed over into the family after the officer is off duty. Bringing these stresses home can place a strain on relationships. Personal problems and job problems often cannot be distinguished for the police officer. Surveys that investigated the opinions of long-term officers found that there is a general belief that divorce rates are high among officers. However, just as with suicide statistics, there are some that claim no significant increase, as compared to the rest of the population (Curran, 2003). Comparative statistics are lacking in this areas, but it does not minimize the need to address the issue. Perceptions of divorce rates among police officers were exaggerated among police officers that had experienced a divorce themselves (Curran, 2003).

Domestic Violence is a crime in the United States. Domestic violence occurs as tensions build, with no means of relief. Once an officer has been charged with domestic violence, in many states, the officer must immediately surrender their firearm (Sliwinski, 2009). They are immediately stripped of many of the privileges that make them an effective officer. When a police officer is charged with domestic violence, it is a serious offense. Those that are supposed to protect others from this type of crime have now become the criminals themselves. From this standpoint, the issue of domestic violence is different from any of the other stress related issues presented in this research.

Discussion and Conclusion

Finding ways to help managers and administrators to help officers cope with the daily chronic stress of their jobs should be a key priority. Although the statistics disagree as to the severity of these problems as compared to the general population, they still pose a significant problem for the officers and the departments for which they work. Officers need to be at their peak performance every day that they are on the job. Departments need to focus on providing the opportunity for optimum performance for every officer on the force. In order to do this they need to develop strategies for helping officers to effectively cope with the daily stresses that they face.

Administrators and manager often cannot do anything to reduce the stress experienced by officers. They cannot prevent traumatic events from happening or many of the chronic stresses that occur daily on the job. There are certain stresses that can be minimized. Administrators need to maintain an open-door policy where officers can come to their superiors for advice and support. They need to feel that their administrators care about them as individuals and that they matter in the bigger equation of the force.

Debriefings are often the most utilized form of stress management after a critical incident. However, research demonstrates that these group session are ineffective as a means to relieve stress. In some cases, evidence supports the position that these debriefings can cause more harm than good, as the officer must relive the experiences (Curran, 2003). Administrators need to address this issue by providing individual help for all officers involve in critical incidents. They need to enlist the help of professionals and specialists in treatment of trauma. It is not enough to provide help; they must provide the most effective help possible in order to reduce stress for police officers.

Training and education were found to be effective interventions in reducing stress for police officers (Curran, 2003). Providing ongoing training in relationships, family dynamics in times of stress, and the risks associated with the job would prove effective tools for prevent to build up of stress to critical points. This type of program would reflect a proactive, rather than a reactive stance regarding the daily stresses of police officers on the job.

There are many actions that administrators and managers could take to reduce the affects of tensions and stress in the lives of police officers. Reducing stress in police officers needs to become an administrative priority. The costs associated with these programs far outweighs the consequences of stress on the police force.