NCJ Number
166594
Date Published
1997
Length
302 pages
Annotation
This self-help book is directed to police personnel and their families and provides practical information and guidance to help police and their family members cope with the stresses of police life and work.
Abstract
The text presents case examples and advice based on the author's experience as a clinical psychologist and consultant who has been working with police officers and their families for 20 years. Individual sections explain the physical, intellectual and emotional demands of police work and their impacts on police and their families. They also discuss the effects on the officer and the family of the amount of control a police officer can exert over occupational demands, the role of the organizational culture and the agency's leadership style, and individual factors such as the officer's personality and the quality and availability of family relationships and support systems. Further sections examine the issues of domestic assault, alcohol abuse, and suicide among police. Additional chapters present guidelines on the steps to and the issues to consider take when seeking counseling from mental health professionals and programs; discuss the special challenges experienced by policewomen, minority police, homosexual police, and police officers married to other police officers. The final chapter presents success stories and emphasizes the need for police officers to avoid becoming overly involved in their workplace families, to place their families first and manage intrusions from the workplace, and recognize and resolve difficulties in handling their adult relationships. Figure, lists of print and organizational resources, chapter reference lists, and index