NCJ Number
181663
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 217-228
Date Published
December 1999
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the context within which British police chief superintendents and superintendents (n = 533) were working as a background to measuring their sources of work-related stress and coping adaptations.
Abstract
The article begins with some comparative analyses examining the internationalism of changes in police management and organization. Next it presents the results of the empirical investigation into the sources of stress and British police managers’ coping strategies. Superintendents reported having too much work to do with too few resources among the most significant stressors. They coped through use of secondary stress management interventions that were task-oriented rather than emotion-focused. They were less inclined to use family, friends, or colleagues, although they reported having stable relationships as an important factor when dealing with stress. The article concludes by relating findings to organizational changes occurring within policing elsewhere and makes recommendations to alleviate stress among police managers. Given the apparent reluctance of police managers to seek social support and the pressures exerted by the police culture that inhibits admission of inability to cope, some concessions may need to be made, especially among senior officers, when offering remedial help, such as stress counseling. Tables, references