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Politcal Stress Essay, Research Paper

Stress originally came from the Latin word ?strictus? meaning strict. Stress causes mental or physical tension or strain, which can deform a person. In a sense, stress causes a restrictive hold on the body and mind, which causes a person to act in ways that are out of the norm for them. Stress can be described as the force itself, meaning whatever is bringing the force upon a person. Police work is very stressful due to the pressures of the job, and strict legal limitations.

Many researchers have examined the basic stressors involved in policing. Violanti and Aron (1995) believe that there are two major categories mentioned by officers. These are organizational practices, and the inherent nature of police work (Spielberger, et al. 1981; Martelli et al. 1989; Violanti and Aron, 1995).

Police stress has been examined by a variety of researchers, Evans et al. (1992) has reviewed a range of research studies on the police personality and coping. Most of the reviewed research argues that police officers change their coping strategies and behaviors overtime, with some of these changes actually contributing to officers reported stress experiences and stress levels. In everyday work duties, police officers are involved in a number of activities that may be very stressful, and constant exposure to these stressful events possibly leads to a number of psychological and physical outcomes (Evans, et al. 1992).

Chan and Grossman (1988) studied the immediate effects of stressors which have shown that subjects report higher levels of helplessness and feelings of lack of control, and greater psychological distress including depression, anxiety, confusion and overall mood disturbances when they are stressed (Chan and Grossman, 1988). In longer terms, individuals may experience changes in their personalities, which reflect alterations of their typical coping strategies (Skolnick, 1973; Singleton, 1977).

In situations of extreme stress, officers may display the symptoms usually associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Evans, et al. 1992). It is common for individuals who undergo a traumatic event to experience such emotional states such as fear, anxiety, guilt, depression, sadness, anger, and shock. Cognitive effects include difficulty with decision-making, concentration, and memory processes (Reiser and Geiger, 1984; Mitchell, 1988). More distressing symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, vivid flashbacks to the event, difficulties relating to others, self-destructive or aggressive rages, and fear of losing control (Evans, 1991).

Police officers also have a high rate of stress related illness. Police officers experience higher rates of heart attacks and diabetes, and have increased mortality risk from cancer, particularly colon and liver cancers (Guralnick, 1963; Milham, 1976; Violanti, et al. 1986). Also, when compared with other groups, police officers have relatively high rates of suicide, alcoholism, and divorce (Terry, 1981; Diviner, et al. 1975; Heiman, 1975).

Much of the stress and the ability to handle it is determined by the police officers personality. American and Australian studies of police officers personality characteristics suggest that the majority of officers have a common sense approach to situations, are practical, and prefer a working environment that is routine, organized, and carefully regulated (Hanewicz, 1978). Researchers also have reported that police officers are typically suspicious, distant, cynical, and authoritarian (Balch, 1972; Radelet, 1973; Skolnick, 1973; Violanti and Marshall, 1983; Kroes, 1985). Stress can stem off of these personality traits because the police officer would be acting differently than every one around him or her.

The personality traits of cynicism, suspiciousness, and being distant are associated with the Type A behavior pattern (Rosenman, 1978; Jenkins, et al. 1979). Type A people typically see themselves as hard working, competitive, and intolerant of, and easily irritated by the actions of others. They like to rely on their own resources rather than working cooperatively, and they tend not to use available social supports (Rosenman, 1978; Diamond, 1982; Greenglass, 1988). Stress is more likely in Type A people because they try to handle the pressures of the job on their own, without any assistance.

Police officers grow very suspicious over the course of their careers. There is always the possibility of dangerous events occurring, which makes it necessary for officers to be alert to potential violence and danger. Right from the beginning with police training, the officers are taught to react automatically with care and suspicion (Kroes, 1985). Police officers also become distant, by emotionally detaching themselves from being unsympathetic to the people they come into contact with. Becoming distant may develop as a means of coping with stressful occupational activities (Besner and Robinson, 1982; Violanti and Marshall, 1983). Cynicism, which is being doubtful of human sincerity and goodness, is also a trait police officers? may develop. Authoritarianism develops from the police officers dominance and assertiveness, which are traits they display consistently given their job duties (Niederhoffer, 1967; Fabricatore, 1978). Numerous studies have suggested that many police officers develop these personality traits on the job as a means of coping with stressful aspects of their work (Hillgren and Bond, 1975; Besner and Robinson, 1982; Violanti and Marshall, 1983; Lawrence, 1984).

In a study done by Evans et al. (1992), it was hypothesized that officers with the greatest length of service would show less anxiety and greater incidence of Type A behaviors based on suspiciousness, hostility, and being distant, compared with officers with fewer years of service (Evans, et al. 1992). The study was designed to categorize

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