STRESS, DISTRESS AND ADAPTATION IN POLICE WORK (FROM JOB STRESS AND THE POLICE OFFICER - IDENTIFYING STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES - PROCEEDINGS OF SYMPOSIUM, 1975 BY W H KROES, AND J J HURRELL, JR - SEE NCJ-43642)

• NCJ Number: 43644
• Author(s): M REISER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Superintendent of Documents, GPO
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: THE SYMPOSIUM WAS HELD IN CINCINNATI, OHIO ON MAY 8 & 9, 1975, AND CHAIRED BY DR WILLIAM H KROES

Annotation

FACTORS INFLUENCING PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS REACTIONS IN POLICE PERSONNEL ARE REVIEWED.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH POLICE RECRUITS ARE ABOVE AVERAGE IN INTELLIGENCE AND EMOTIONAL ABILITY, EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS HIS OWN STRESS-TOLERANCE LEVEL. WHEN THAT LEVEL IS UNBALANCED, EITHER BY A STRESS OVERLOAD OR BY A STRESS UNDERLOAD, SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS RESULT. AMONG THE FACTORS INFLUENCING AN INDIVIDUAL'S STRESS-TOLERANCE LEVEL ARE BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS, PERSONALITY FACTORS, CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLICE OFFICER'S ROLE, ORGANIZATIONAL PRESSURES, AND PEER GROUP INFLUENCES. MANY PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR USE IN REDUCING STRESS THROUGH COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES. FOR EXAMPLE, TRADITIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS EMPHASIZE TECHNICAL SKILLS THAT CAN SUPPORT THE OFFICER IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS. HUMAN RELATIONS TRAINING PROGRAMS AND EXPERIMENTS WITH ENCOUNTER AND SENSITIVITY TRAINING GROUPS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED, AS HAVE POLICE IDENTITY WORKSHOPS USING ROLE PLAY, COGNITIVE INPUT, SIMULATION OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS, PERSONALITY MEASUREMENT FEEDBACK, AND OTHER TECHNIQUES. OTHER APPROACHES INCLUDE THE TEAM-BUILDING FORMAT, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, AND INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TRAINING. THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYS A FULL-TIME PSYCHOLOGIST TO PROVIDE COUNSELING TO OFFICERS. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PLANS TO IMPLEMENT A STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM USING BIOFEEDBACK TECHNIQUES. POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOULD APPROACH STRESS PROBLEMS IN AN ORGANIZED MANNER, RECOGNIZING THE LEGITIMACY OF ON-DUTY EXERCISE AND RECREATION AS USEFUL METHODS OF STRESS REDUCTION. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE PLANNED REST OPPORTUNITIES AND FACILITIES FOR OFFICERS SERVING IN HIGH-STRESS ASSIGNMENTS. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED.