NCJ Number
208419
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 71 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 54-60
Date Published
December 2004
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined the outcome and benefits of post-trauma interventions for law enforcement officers experiencing exposure to officer-involved shootings or other life-threatening confrontations and the impact of interventions on an officer’s resilience.
Abstract
Resilience is an important concept in the law enforcement community. Past research has indicated that post-trauma interventions can interfere with or undermine resilience processes. Building on a research study conducted in 1998 which found evidence to suggest that post-trauma intervention for law enforcement officers who have experienced exposure to a traumatic event did not produce harm to any of the study participants, this study surveyed 348 subjects from the above study and 982 additional subjects directly involved in all officer-involved shooting incidents occurring over a 9-year period. The survey questions covered seven content areas: perceptual disturbances, control and security, cognitive and behavioral, emotional, legal concerns, impact on job performance, and impact on home life. Study results confirmed the previous 1998 findings. The results of both studies support the concept of a high-degree of resilience in police officers after exposure to a life-threatening event. The acceptance of and participation in post-shooting interventions and follow-up care as needed was at the heart of the results.