NCJ Number
182301
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 285-302
Date Published
March 2000
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This research identifies and describes the issues associated with stress within a British police force from the perspectives of police superintendents.
Abstract
Given that previous research has indicated that management style and lack of consultation, communication, and support were all causes of stress for police officers, a small-scale qualitative study of six police superintendents was undertaken, using semi-structured interviews. The accuracy of transcriptions, themes extracted, and the development of meaning statements were validated by the participants and expert academic validation. Several organizational issues that relate to the causes of stress were described. Analysis of data taken from these interviews shows that acceptance or tolerance of management practices are likely to cause stress. Participants also felt able to make judgments about the authenticity of stress expressed by subordinates. The participants further indicated a desire for their subordinates to have trust and confidence in them. The paradox of wishing to be trusted while also reserving the right to make valued judgments about authenticity of an individual's stress-related illness goes to the heart of police forces' management of stress at work. Several recommendations are offered as to how police forces might address the problems of stress. In particular there is a need for an education initiative that prepares police managers to recognize and manage situations in which occupational stress is a factor. 1 table, 38 references, and appended illustration of data analysis