NCJ Number
168950
Date Published
1987
Length
110 pages
Annotation
Sixteen articles on the practical aspects of the application of behavioral science to law enforcement, previously published by the author, focus on the psychological dynamics of police interactions with various types of persons and the nature and management of police occupational stress.
Abstract
An article on the obsessive-compulsive behavior of the nuisance offender focuses on the psychological dynamics of persons who commit "nuisance" offenses that may involve exhibitionism, kleptomania, pyromania, voyeurism, fetishism, and obscene phone calls. A study of these crimes reveals sexual inadequacy, anxiety, and repeated stereotypical patterns of behavior or rituals by the perpetrators. A second paper describes the components of the psychological profiling of offenders based on evidence obtained from the crimes they have committed. A third paper focuses on the motivations of criminal informants, followed by a study that attempts to identify a common denominator in crime causation. Most of the remaining papers deal with some aspect of the causes and prescriptions for police occupational stress. Particular issues addressed are family therapy for police officers, the role of family and peers in relieving officer stress, techniques for coping with stress, and the dynamics of policing a violent society. One paper deals with the potential stress factors for police psychologists and suggests 10 strategies for minimizing role conflict when providing mental health services and consultation to law enforcement agencies. The book concludes with a discussion of the potential stress for rape investigators as they become vicarious victims.