NCJ Number
199456
Date Published
2003
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This chapter describes the types of critical incidents and other stress experienced by law enforcement officers and describes practical law enforcement intervention strategies found useful in preventing and responding to violence against youth.
Abstract
Until recently, American law enforcement has had to contend with rates of violent crime far exceeding that of most other industrialized nations which have been largely isolated incidents involving a single victim or small group of victims. In the last decade, America’s law enforcement has had to adapt to acts of mass terror and destruction on a much larger scale. Due to this new scale of violence in society, mental health clinicians have had to apply the lessons learned in treating law enforcement stress. In this chapter, the types of critical incidents and other stresses experienced by law enforcement officers are described, as well as a set of psychotherapeutic models and strategies proven helpful to officers in distress. In addition, practical intervention strategies that law enforcement agencies have found useful in preventing and responding to violence against youth and its aftermath are described. Mental health clinicians who work in the areas of terrorism and violence against youth will find themselves in contact with all phases of law enforcement and the criminal justice system. There are both frustrations and satisfactions in critical incident interventions and psychotherapy with law enforcement officers. There is a need for flexibility when adapting traditional training models and psychotherapeutic techniques for law enforcement. References