NCJ Number
26801
Date Published
1972
Length
92 pages
Annotation
INTENDED AS A GUIDE FOR WORKING POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL AS A RESOURCE FOR POLICE ADMINISTRATORS, THIS TEXT PROVIDES A BACKGROUND ON THE CAUSES OF CRISIS SITUATIONS AND SUGGESTS SEVERAL CRISIS INTERVENTION APPROACHES.
Abstract
THE COMPLEXITIES OF URBANIZED AND INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETY AND THE FACTORS WHICH GIVE RISE TO INCREASED TENSION AND ANXIETY ARE REVIEWED IN THE FIRST CHAPTER. ASPECTS OF EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR ARE ALSO DISCUSSED, INCLUDING EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MATURITY, EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND EMOTIONAL PATHOLOGY. METHODS OF HANDLING PROBLEMS OF EMOTIONAL RESPONSE ARE THEN SUGGESTED. IT IS STRESSED THAT THE POLICE OFFICER SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE, THE COMMONALITIES, THE NORMALCY AND THE OCCASIONS FOR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES BOTH ON THE PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL ENCOUNTERED AND ON THE PART OF THE POLICE OFFICER HIMSELF. THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD AND THE FUTURE ADULT BEHAVIOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS EXAMINED AS WELL. AFTER REVIEWING THESE FACTORS OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR RESPONSE, THE AUTHOR TURNS TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE POLICE ROLE IN SOCIETY. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TRADITIONAL CRIME ORIENTATION OF THE POLICE IS FIRST PROVIDED. THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT MUST RE-EVALUATE ITS ROLE IN SOCIETY AND MOVE FROM ITS PRESENT POSTURE OF CRIMINAL ORIENTATION TO THAT OF A SERVICE ORIENTATION. IT IS STATED THAT NO ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP CRISIS INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES OR PROGRAMS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL UNLESS THE SERVICE NATURE OF POLICE WORK IS FULLY PERCEIVED. GENERAL METHODS OF IMPLEMENTING POLICE CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES ARE DISCUSSED AND SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES OF CRISIS INTERVENTION ARE PRESENTED.