NCJ Number
220852
Date Published
2007
Length
192 pages
Annotation
This book presents research findings and clinical case studies relevant to the development of suicidal ideation and behaviors among police, and implications are drawn for the prevention of police suicides.
Abstract
The case studies presented are from the clinical files of one of the authors (Stephanie Samuels), who has counseled troubled police officers for many years. The second author, John M. Violanti, is a 23-year veteran of the New York State Police who has conducted research on police trauma and suicide for 20 years. The book first discusses several of the early models of suicide from which current concepts of police suicide have been derived. Recent studies of police suicide are also described. A chapter then presents a hypothetical model of the development of suicide potential in police officers, given their involvement in a culture that provides many precipitants associated with suicide. Another chapter discusses the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on officer suicidal ideation and intent. A chapter provides on overview of the impact of the features of the police organization on the psychological well-being of its officers. A separate chapter addresses a type of citizen behavior police may encounter in the course of their work that can be a stress factor for officers. This citizen behavior is called "suicide by cop." It occurs when a citizen intentionally provokes a confrontation with an officer in which the officer is likely to perceive the citizen as a deadly threat and responds with deadly force. This is followed by a chapter that focuses on dangerous behaviors by officers that carry a high risk for causing their deaths. This is symptomatic of suicidal intent that seeks to avoid adverse financial consequences for the officer's family. Chapter references and a subject index