NCJ Number
108902
Journal
Police Stress Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1987) Pages: 8-10
Date Published
1987
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article explores the effects of police occupational stress on families, the family's support role, and peer counseling as one approach to helping officers handle stress and family conflicts.
Abstract
Attempts to cope with stress create attitudes that get officers through the workday, but may not be acceptable in the home. Family members may have problems relating to police officers who become less responsive concerning feelings and emotions. The law enforcement professional also can upset long-range family strategies. Law enforcement is now beginning to view the family as a support system, but the challenge is to make officers realize that they are an integral part of the support system of others, namely family members. Police attitudes tend to block help from mental health professionals. On the other hand, peer counseling can assist officers in times of personal or professional crises or break through the image armor and encourage an officer to get professional help. Peer counselor volunteers are trained by mental health professionals in areas such as crisis theory, warning signs of acute stress, suicide assessment, substance abuse, and confidentiality issues. An effective program must have the total support of command level officers. Training must be in touch with reality, peer counselors must know their limitations, and the program cannot be a means to eliminate professional help. 13 references.