Stress on Police Officers Essay

Words: 1365
Pages: 6
Open Document
THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON POLICE OFFICERS
Not much good news here.

The following is the text of a speech give by Dan Goldfarb to a group of union delegates on the impact stress can have on their men.

There has been a lot of research on the negative effects of stress on people in general. I am sure you know that police work is one of the top rated professions for job stress next to air traffic controllers and dentists. A good way to start this presentation, I think, is to give a good working definition of police stress I have seen the following definition around enough to realize that many who are reading this are already familiar with this excellent definition. What I like about the following definition is that it is not just …show more content…
3. Depression. 4. A failure to get help. (Most officers who commit suicide have no history of having sought counseling).

All four factors are symptoms that can stem from an officer's stress levels. Police suicide is more directly related to relationship problems than to job stress! Of the last 14 suicides among the police officers in New York City, 12, or 86%, had to due with divorce or relationship breakup.
Police officers going through a divorce are 5 times more likely to commit suicide that and officer in a stable marriage! Relationship problems, however, are highly related to job stress. The circle is complete!
If we consider that officers have an important relationship with their department, we can examine the effect of that relationship gone bad. Officers who get in serious trouble on the job, suspended or facing termination, are 7 times more likely to commit suicide. (Apparently cops like their jobs better than their wives).
So we see that stress has a profound effect on police officers lives, especially their home lives. Studies have called police work a "high risk lifestyle". Not high risk in terms of the physical dangers of the job, but a high risk in terms of developing attitudinal problems, behavioral problems, and intimacy and relationship problems. So you learn something about the effects of police work. You learn if you ask the average cop "Hey, what's been the scariest experience during your police career?" They will answer "My first
Show More

Related Documents: Stress on Police Officers Essay

KIN 69 Occupations Stress PAPER FINAL

Occupational Stress Paper Title Page: The Most Stressful Occupation in America Vanessa Dingillo San Jose State University According to “The Effects of Stress on Police Officers,” Dan Goldfarb states that Law Enforcement is one of the top rated professions for job related stress. It is the job of law enforcement officers to protect and serve the community. In the youth community police officers are often referred to as “pigs”. We often disrespect those who keep us safe and that are what makes their…

Words 1029 - Pages 5

Police Officer Observation

causes police officers to have poor health? Statement of the Problem Many police officers suffer from some sort of health problem. These problems include high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and mental health problems. Because of the nature of their work, police officers have a high risk of these problems (Van Der Velden, et al, 2010). Officers are usually working long hours at various shifts, they are exposed to sights and experiences that cause stress. Stress and other…

Words 1372 - Pages 6

Essay on Police Culture

The police culture is unlike any other culture. When doing police work you only have yourself and your partner to have your back. The police culture sees themselves as a thin blue line between anarchy and order in society. Police officers sees the worst out of the human race. They deal with this every day. Officers see hostility from the public sometimes directed at them. Some people group all police officers together because of the badge and the gun. This way of thinking can cause the “us against…

Words 490 - Pages 2

Farabe W A00380586 Essay

Consider the jobs of ‘call center employee, police officer, nurse, IT specialist or airline pilot. Which would be the most stressful for you (i.e. what kinds of stressors are there and why are they stressful?). Police Officer Stress is the response of our daily life interaction which possibly may create negative effect in our mental and physical health. This occurs due to stretching our full ability or potential to do something, it may come in different forms starting from back pain to mental…

Words 1001 - Pages 5

English Final Essay

Poor Police Performance Does the name William J. Whitfield 3rd ring a bell with anyone? Will Whitfield is just one of many unsuspecting victims of a police officer who has performed poorly. Whitfield was shot and killed in a supermarket in 1997 by a New York police officer that had mistaken Whitfield’s keys for a gun (Police Brutality… ¶1). The cause for this “lash-out” as some may see it could be closely related to stress. Police officers may not realize that they could be in a situation…

Words 870 - Pages 4

Police Officers Suicide

Police Officers and Alcohol Abuse, Substance Abuse, and Suicide Eric Beaty Florida Leadership Academy 40 Abstract Millions of people throughout the world have different issues when it comes to family, work, and even in the social setting. Issues including drug abuse, alcohol abuse, financial problems, and depression have led to physical abuse, mental abuse, and divorce. Police officers are not exclude from these issues either. In addition to those, police officers must deal with a wide…

Words 1967 - Pages 8

Police Suicide

Roughly one hundred and fifty police officers take their lives each year. While there are many factors to any suicide, it has been reported by Circa, a news outlet that covers current events, that the Chicago Police Department has a suicide rate that is 60 percent above the national average. with no plans of actions set in place to protect officers (Hurtado, 2017). A suspected component to suicide is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Police offers experience grueling challenges every day of…

Words 511 - Pages 3

Policing Culture Team Assignment Rough Draft Essay

be traced back to the beginning of time. When looking at the subject of police work there is a large culture and history that follows along with it. There are many topics that can be analyzed when identifying, and describing the elements and the significances that are associated with policing. A large element of the police job that plays a large factor in the work and attributes to the policing culture is the amount of stress that an office will face while performing on the job. Another part of the…

Words 1698 - Pages 7

Stressors in the Profession of Law Enforcement Essay

injured while at work brings a huge challenge to the officers and their families. The researcher also stated that in many cases the media only relays information that in times shows the negative situations where the people view law enforcement as bad cops, brutal cop, and the corrupt cop, since this seems to bring more attention to their stories than the relativities that law enforcement face while protecting society. The realty of police officers are to make sure the community is safe, investigate…

Words 1541 - Pages 7

Stress In Law Enforcement

It’s been know that the highest levels of stress are reserved for those who assume the role of authority figures, and in this case members of the police force. Law enforcement today are in need of a better support system. With all of the rising crime rate in our society officers can only handle so much before finally break down. As their stress builds up an officer may soon suffer from anger or worse, depression. With the dangers that law enforcement face on the job and the pressure of protecting…

Words 441 - Pages 2