NCJ Number
204943
Date Published
2004
Length
236 pages
Annotation
This book presents information about stress, coping with stress, and how stress impacts police officers.
Abstract
Stress has been an often-studied phenomenon over the past 50 years. However, there is little agreement about the nature of stress, its effects on physical and emotional health, and the level or duration of stress necessary to cause damage. Chapter 1 explores the research literature concerning stress, with a focus on individual factors, personality factors, the impact of stressful life events, burnout, organizational factors, sociocultural factors, and events thought to be universally stressful. Chapter 2 explores how individuals cope with stress by reviewing physiological and psychological responses to stressful events and stress-related disorders. Chapter 3 turns to the issue of police officer stress. Despite the abundant and varied literature on stress, the unique occupational stress experienced by police officers has been a neglected area of study. Chapter 4 discusses the stressors that are unique to special groups of officers, such as ethnic minority officers and women officers. Chapter 5 presents information about recognizing the signs of stress in others, including personality changes, physical changes, and changes in work patterns. Chapters 6 and 7 consider some of the general coping strategies employed by people experiencing stress. Chapter 6 focuses on general strategies such as goal setting and time management, while Chapter 7 presents cognitive strategies that focus on changing thought patterns. Chapter 8 reviews the empirical evidence on the many forms of support that are offered to alleviate stress reactions, ranging from formal peer support programs to psychoactive medications. Chapter 9 discusses the organization of law enforcement agencies as a major source of stress for police officers and offers organizational and supervisory strategies for the prevention and management of officer stress. Chapter 10 describes a training program curriculum for stress management that can be modified to fit a wide range of needs. Appendix, bibliography, index