The police officers are faced with
a great deal of stress during a regular routing of duty. “Police
stress is not always obvious. Almost any single stressor in police work
can be found in another occupation. What is unique is all the different
stressors in one job.”(Not So Obvious Police Stress).
What is stress? Stress is the
body’s reaction to internal or external stimuli that upset the body’s normal
state. A stimulus that causes stress (stressor) can be physical, mental, or
emotional. The term stress is used to refer to both the body’s reaction
and the stimuli that caused it.” (An Introduction to Policing, 2005). Everybody
has a certain amount of stress in their lives and careers, but the most
stressful profession can be without a doubt, law enforcement. Some studies
indicate that police officers have higher rates of suicide, divorce and other
personal problems. A study called Project Shield, provided information about
the negative effects of stress. During this research project, “officers admitted anonymously to increased
vulnerability to alcohol abuse and anxiety within the first 5 years of
employment. Project Shield also found that officers experienced increased risk
of mortality and morbidity from cancer, heart disease, hypertension, acute
migraine headaches, reproductive problems, chronic back problems, foot
problems, and insomnia.” (The CBS Interactive Business Network, 2010).
According to researchers there are four general
categories of stress:
1. External Stress: stress produced by real
threats like dealing with armed criminals. Police officers’ job performance can
be affected if they are over-tired. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common
condition as a result of working around stressful situations. A police officer
can find his or her life affected because the job forces the officer to be
emotionally detached.
2. Organizational Stress: produced by the
character of the police service, such as strict discipline, change of schedule
and emergency calls. Organizational stress might lead to police corruption or
excessive aggression. Community might complain and as a result police officers
could feel thankless. An officer’s personal life could be affected because of
the lack of time to socialize with other regular citizens. Also, an officer’s
relationship with his or her family could be hurt due to lack of time to spend
with them.
3. Personal Stress: produced by difficulty
getting along with other officers within the department. This type of stress
can lead to alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and marital issues.
4. Operational Stress: produced by the daily
confrontation with human tragedies. Also, the need to engage in dangerous
situations to protect the public. An important stressor is the consciousness of
being liable for any actions performed in duty. Operational stress can cause an
officer to have absenteeism, cynicism, and just function in an overall
inefficient way.
Some ways police officers can control the stress in their lives is to
exercise on a daily basis, eat a healthy diet, and go to counseling services;
undergoing stress-management screening and training. Learning to manage stress
produced by the daily job duties and leave work at work when coming home, can
help the police officer find a balance between his or her career and personal
life.
Abstract
References
·
Harpold, Joseph. A. (2002). Negative
Influences of Police Stress. The FBI Law Enforcement
Bulletin. Retrieved from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_9_71/ai_92285044/pg_2/?tag=content;col1
·
Constant,
T. (2005). Not So Obvious Police Stress. Tears of a
Cop. Retrieved from
http://www.tearsofacop.com/police/articles/constant.html
·
Dempsey, J. S.,
& Forst, L. S. (). 2005. Retrieved from Axia College
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