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CJE3010 Final Reading SummaryCHAPTER 11Defining StressThere is no one definition of stress; however a leading expert Hans Selye describes it as “the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it.” Another definition is “Occurs when a person perceives that he is unable to cope with the demands made upon him and when the consequences of this inability to cope are threatening.” In other words, stress amounts to a psychological overload on the person. It is important to note that stress affects people in different ways. Stress takes place “only if the individual perceives that social demands cannot be adequately handled.” Some people prefer the term burnout, which refers to a loss of enthusiasm, excitement, and a sense of mission in one’s work; it is a constant disjunction between job demands and worker resources. The inevitable result of this fatigue and tension, is that burnt-put workers tend to treat people in a detached and mechanical fashionTypes of StressThere are two types of stress: eustress and distress. Distress is the strain that develops as a person becomes more and more engulfed in his or her occupational role, without proper time to relax and rejuvenate. Eustress is the act of becoming stressed, but being able to relax and rejuvenate. The Stress Reaction CycleGeneral Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), the patterned response of an organism under stress and consists of three stages. First, the Alarm Reaction Stage is the perception of a stressful condition that triggers a physical response. For example, someone screaming boo and scaring you results in this type of reaction and causes an accelerated production of certain chemicals andhormones. Second, the Resistance Stage is when the body adjusts hormones to the appropriate level for the event causing the alarm reaction. The higher the threat, the more enhanced the production will be until it reaches peak alertness. The final stage is the Exhaustion Stage, this is when the body runs out of fuel and physical reserves must recuperate. Proper nutrition, sleep, and relaxation are important forms of intervention. A person undergoing eustress then enjoys a welcomes rest period while people in distress are denied this luxury. There is not a sufficient rest period so hormones and their byproducts remain in the body. Efficiency dwindles and the exhaustion stage sets in early. There is evidence that police work impedes stress repairs and greatly reduces the presence of necessary elements such as vitamins (B6, C, Zinc). Sources of Police StressFour major sources of police stress are: the individual, friction that develops between people, conflict between the individual officer and the organization, intention between an individual and the environment.Intra-Individual SourcesThe impact of stress is dependant upon an individual’s perception and other internal factors. For example, a stressor may be a mild inconvenience or small irritation to someone who is well rested and in good spirits; however, the same stressor in a fatigued individual may have a much larger impact. One’s personality may be an important mediator when handling stress. For example, a person with tremendous drive to excel will be more prone to stress and as a result will be more prone to ulcers and heart attacks. A person with a lower dive may not feel as much pressure from such stressors. This is the case with officers competing for a promotion. Every outstanding officer cannot receive a promotion due to the limited number of spaces; this can frustrate better-educated and highly motivated officers. Without being rewarded for doing a goodjob, job satisfaction erodes and stress increases. The summary of intra-individual sources can be summed up to say that influences outside the individual, when combined with certain traits, interact to produce stress. Inter-Individual SourcesStress can also arise through interaction between people. For example, supervisor-employee interactions or dealing with the unsavory clientele officer’s encounter on the streets can result in stress. The AIDS epidemic and other infectious diseases lead to much stress and hazardous situations. Since AIDS and other diseases can be transmitted through bodily fluids, it has resulted in many policy changes. Doerner discusses a case where an officer transmits hepatitis to his baby after dealing with an intoxicated person the night before. This also applies to non-traditional officers such as minorities. Due to affirmative action, other officers treat them like they do not deserve to be in this white male dominated field. These actions make minorities feel unwelcome. This discriminatory conduct is illegal. Organizational Sources A third source of stress is the police organization itself. This source consists of three main stressors: shift work, equipment, and citizen complaints.Shift WorkOne complaint is in regards to the Rotating Shift Structure. This consists of three shifts a day for 28 days with the shifts being 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, and 11pm-7am. Officers rotate which shift the do every month. While this is simple and fair, it causes a lot of stress on schedules. Most lifestyles rotate around a diurnal pattern, meaning the distinction between night and day. The human body has a sensitive set of inner clocks programmed to a 24-hour cycle, this is called the Circadian Rhythm and patterns are physiological functions. An example of this is when you feeljetlagged. Shift Work can disrupt this pattern due to the odd hours. In addition to this, the court system runs on a day time basis, meaning if called in during the day after a night shift, it can further disrupt the officer’s schedule. These constant adjustments affect appetite and disrupt eating habits. This chaos requires adjustments by the entire household. Some agencies have changed to fixed or permanent shifts, under these conditions officers work a set shift for an extended period of time. The thinking behind this is that it spares the officer from having a changing circadian rhythm and prevents them from acquiring common sleep disorders. There have been some indications that this type of shift has led to officers feeling better overall compared to officers on rotating shifts. EquipmentAnother criticism is poor or defective equipment. The patrol car is everything for an officer since it contains all the gear necessary to doing their job. It becomes frustrating to write reports in 90-degree weather with no AC, or write


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FSU CJE 3110 - Final Reading Summary

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