Police Stressors
Abstract
This research has shown several main stressors that police officers face daily. These stressors are common and include work related as well as personal issues. When faced with multiple stressors and left untreated stressors can cause mild to serious effects on the officer’s health, well being, personal life and performance. There are different ways today that management can help officers effectively deal with the stresses that they encounter and procedures that should be enacted to ensure the officers have the resources to get help when needed. Today there are training programs intended to help management learn about the various stressors, different methods of treatment and what signs to watch for. Management plays a vital role in helping the officers understand that nothing is hopeless and that there is always help available.
Police Stressors: Causes, Effects and Treatments
Everyone deals with a certain amount of stress from his or her career and personal lives. Police officers are no different and in fact, they have some of the highest stress levels. The causes of stress vary from officer to officer as well as the symptoms that the stress and anxiety cause. Many stressors can be mild and go unnoticed and are therefore left untreated, while others are severe. Facing severe symptoms, the officers may not know how to go about getting help or they feel embarrassed and do not seek help. How the officers and management deal with this stress is important to the officer’s safety as well as those around him. There is not one way to deal with these situations and the levels vary for each individual.
Joseph Harpold and Samuel Feemster wrote an article in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Bulletin that says:
What is stress? One researcher defined stress as "a nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed on it." What does that really mean? It simply means that each person responds differently to internal
This research has shown several main stressors that police officers face daily. These stressors are common and include work related as well as personal issues. When faced with multiple stressors and left untreated stressors can cause mild to serious effects on the officer’s health, well being, personal life and performance. There are different ways today that management can help officers effectively deal with the stresses that they encounter and procedures that should be enacted to ensure the officers have the resources to get help when needed. Today there are training programs intended to help management learn about the various stressors, different methods of treatment and what signs to watch for. Management plays a vital role in helping the officers understand that nothing is hopeless and that there is always help available.
Police Stressors: Causes, Effects and Treatments
Everyone deals with a certain amount of stress from his or her career and personal lives. Police officers are no different and in fact, they have some of the highest stress levels. The causes of stress vary from officer to officer as well as the symptoms that the stress and anxiety cause. Many stressors can be mild and go unnoticed and are therefore left untreated, while others are severe. Facing severe symptoms, the officers may not know how to go about getting help or they feel embarrassed and do not seek help. How the officers and management deal with this stress is important to the officer’s safety as well as those around him. There is not one way to deal with these situations and the levels vary for each individual.
Joseph Harpold and Samuel Feemster wrote an article in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Bulletin that says:
What is stress? One researcher defined stress as "a nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed on it." What does that really mean? It simply means that each person responds differently to internal
References: “Central Florida Police Stress Unit Main Page.” 2008. http://www.policestress.org/main.htm (accessed February 21, 2009). Baker, L. (2008). Researchers Investigate Impact of Stress on Police Officers ' Physical and Mental Health. University of Buffalo News Direct. Retrieved from http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9660. Collins, P. A. (2003). Stress in police officers: A study of the origins, prevalence and severity of stress-related symptoms within a county police force. Oxford Journal, 53(4), 256-264. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/53/4/256. Constant, Terry. “Not so Obvious Police Stress.” http://www.tearsofacop.com/police/articles/constant.html (accessed February 21, 2009). Finn, Peter. “Reducing Stress- An Organizational Approach.” August, 1997. http://www.policestress.org/reduce.htm (accessed February 21, 2009). Harpold, Joseph A., and Samuel L. Feemster. “Negative Influences of Police Stress.” February, 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_9_71/ai_92285044 (accessed February 21, 2009). Ronald Terry Constant. (1992). Police Stress: Burned Out and Up. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from http://www.realpolice.net/police-stress-burned-out.shtml