Job Related Stressors In Law Enforcement

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The job of a law enforcement officer introduces officers to high levels of job related stressors. This is not a surprise because law enforcement has been considered one of the most stressful occupations for a long time (Bohm, 2010). As a police supervisor, part of my job is to identify officers who appear to be under great amounts of stress, and who may not be dealing with it very well. If officers were to come to me, and complain of job related stress, and advise me that they are having issues dealing with this stress, there are several things I could look at, to validate their complaints. Consequently, I would have to validate their stress, while not being good at recognizing my own, As I have stated, there are several ways to validate …show more content…
This questioning would be done to determine if there has been a dramatic change in the officer’s demeanor or behavior. Officers, who are not dealing with stress very well, will often appear excessively fatigued, more irritated than normal, or may have withdrawn from their co-workers (Vicini, 2013). These signs are very good indicators, that the officer in question is battling with some type of inner turmoil, and some form of intervention needs to occur. This is not to say that an officer, who comes to work one day, and does not partake in the normal banter which occurs between officers, is having a mental health crisis, or issues with stress. We all have bad days, where we just want to be left alone to do our job and go home. Although, if this pattern persists for several days, there may be a need for concern. Other erratic behaviors, exhibited by the officers in question, could also be used to help validate their complaints. Officers who are having problems dealing with stress, will often become angry or irritated at the most simple of things. They may lash out at their co-workers, or the general public, and tis would be noticeable to the people who work around this officer (Vicini, 2013). This behavior will be so far out of the norm for the officer in question, and would be a good indicator of underlying issues. Other indicators, such as excessive alcohol use, an increased number of absences, and comments made about hurting themselves or others, are all good ways to validate an officer’s complaint of job related stress