OCCUPATIONAL STRESS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND MARITAL AND FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS

• NCJ Number: 44610
• Author(s): M J C HAGEMAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 114 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

A SAMPLE OF 70 LAW OFFICERS AND THEIR SPOUSES FROM WASHINGTON STATE WAS SURVEYED TO INVESTIGATE ROLE CONFLICT, JOB SATISFACTION, MARITAL SATISFACTION, JOB AND FAMILY COMPATIBILITY, AND OTHER FACTORS.

Abstract

THE SAMPLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WAS COMPILED FROM ALL THOSE PERSONS WHO ATTENDED THE 14-WEEK BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY IN ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, FROM JANUARY TO JULY, 1974. THE SAMPLE OF 32 SPOUSES CONSISTED OF WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS OF THE OFFICERS WHO HAD COME TO THE ACADEMY TO ATTEND A FAMILY ORIENTATION PROGRAM WITH THEIR PARTNERS. THE SUBJECTS COMPLETED A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE WITH CODED AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS DEVELOPED TO INVESTIGATE ROLE CONFLICT, JOB SATISFACTION AND COMPATIBILITY WITH FAMILY LIFE, AUTHORITARIANISM, SOCIAL ISOLATION, ROLE COMMITMENT BOTH IN THE MARITAL AND OFFICER ROLE, AND MODES OF ADAPTATION, I.E., ROLE DISTANCE. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ROOKIES AND VETERANS, NOR MARRIEDS AND NONMARRIEDS ON THE ROLE CONFLICT SCALE. THE ASPECT OF BEING AN OFFICER 24 HOURS A DAY HAD THE HIGHEST TOTAL ROLE CONFLICT MEAN SCORE FOR MARRIED OFFICERS. IN GENERAL, ROOKIES EXPERIENCE LESS CONFLICT WITH TIME COMMITMENT, DETACHMENT, AND RESENTMENT, AND HAVE HIGHER MARITAL HAPPINESS SCORES THAN DO VETERANS. THESE FINDINGS AND THE CITED LITERATURE WERE CONGRUENT IN SUGGESTING THAT THE LAW OFFICER LEARNS TO COPE WITH OCCUPATIONAL STRESS BY DETACHMENT -- BEING EMOTIONALLY UNINVOLVED. AS THE LENGTH OF SERVICE INCREASES, THIS COPING MECHANISM BECOMES PART OF THE OFFICER'S PERSONALITY. ACCORDING TO THE SPOUSES' IMPRESSIONS, ROOKIES RARELY DETACH THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FEELINGS WHILE VETERANS QUITE OFTEN DO. SIMILARLY, SIGNIFICANT RESULTS WERE REPORTED WITH THE WOMEN'S IMPRESSIONS OF THEIR SPOUSE'S EMOTIONAL REPRESSION. THE MODERATE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN WIVES' FEELINGS OF MARITAL HAPPINESS AND THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF THEIR SPOUSES' REPRESSION WAS FURTHER SUPPORT FOR THE INTERROLE CONFLICT BETWEEN OCCUPATIONAL AND MARITAL ROLES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS REPRODUCED IN AN APPENDIX, AND TABULAR DATA AND GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- DAS)