Exam 5 Final exam CJE 3110 Doerner No one definition which everyone would approve Selye says it is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it Grenick says it 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 Occurs when there is a constant disjunction between job demands and worker resources As the gap widens one becomes less effective Positive stress positive effects from it such as with realistic training exercises Stress Burnout Eustress Distress Negative stress the strain that develops as a person becomes more and more engulfed in his personal occupational role produces several harmful effects General Adaptation Syndrome GAS Patterned response of an organism reacting to stress includes 3 stages of alarm reaction resistance and exhaustion Alarm reaction stage of GAS Triggered by the perception of some stressful condition or event Acceleration of hormones chemicals stimulates sympathetic system heart and lungs heart beats faster breathing is shallower and quicker glands activate to produce fuel for muscles adrenaline kicks in Resistance stage of GAS The body steps up hormone production to correspond to the level of threat or attack until the organism is at its peak alertness The final spurt of energy and execution of a massive task fit here Exhaustion stage of GAS Body runs out of fuel physical reserves must recuperate or replenish themselves Sleep and relaxation provide nutrition during this stage GAS and eustress People undergoing eustress go through all three stages of the cycle regularly welcoming the relaxation upon reaching exhaustion GAS and distress Under distress there is often not a long enough resting period which causes exhaustion to kick in sooner than it should regularly Constant distress reduces efficiency of the alarm stage Intra individual source of police stress Stress varies from one person to the next depends on individual s perception and other internal factors Type A personality Tremendous drive high anxiety desire to excel in all endeavors more prone to ulcers and heart attacks Type B personality Less driven more moderate in their work habits and living styles Inter individual source of police stress Stress from other people medical conditions in particular Organization source of police stress Includes shift work equipment and citizen complaints Shift work stress Long shifts unusual hours breaks circadian rhythm so it s hard to adjust to disrupts eating sleeping habits Shifts also rotate monthly so that officers work the variety of shifts available Fixed or permanent shifts Officers work a set tour of duty for an extended period of time instead of rotation Equipment stress Often patrol cars have problems such as interior lights failing A C not working brakes failing Citizen complaint stress Internal Affairs informal complaints that the commanding officers receive and address Environmental source of police stress Includes the community CJ system and constant threat of danger Community stress Officers feel rejected by the people they re helping they keep phone numbers unlisted don t publicize their address and try to shield their families from the perceptions of the community CJ System stress Officers have to find time for court in between their long work hours they don t trust the CJ system because of its heavy emphasis on technical and procedural aspects Officers feel morally outrages when the system fails to punish criminals deserving of retribution Threat of danger stress Constant fear death assault Fear of the unknown Symbolic assailant Young minority males in the more run down areas of town Consequences of police stress Morbidity mortality alcohol abuse suicide marital tensions Morbidity Disease and sickness Mortality Causes of Death Officers and health Being an officer increases the odds of a premature death from heart disease or stomach cancers Also they tend to have poor eating habits fast food and caffeine Why do officers rely on alcohol as a remedy for their problems 1 Demands of the job usually dealing with death gruesome cases 2 Physical and social adjustments not being on the same time schedule as others Normal drinker Consumes alcohol under typical circumstances and doesn t crave it when not drinking Alcohol dependent person Drinks daily but does not consider himself to be hooked on booze He knows he drinks too much but thinks he can quit whenever he wants Alcoholic Has left self control drinks excessively alcohol dominates his life Are more officers killed by another or killed by themselves Themselves Top 3 reasons for police suicide 1 Death of child or spouse2 Loss of child or spouse through divorce3 Terminal illness Marriage officers Kroes says that half to three quarters of all police officers eventually go through divorce separation The Niederhoffers say that the rate of police divorce is no higher than the U S average Alternative outlook on police stress public opinion Stress and its outcomes become equated with the incalculable sacrifices that conscientious and dedicated officers make The police stress hypothesis is a potent propaganda device Stress Management Any attempt to control or reduce the amount of stress a person experiences Three types of stress management Eliminating stressors learning to cope with stress reaching out for help with stress Witness management units A witness can call the prosecutor s office the night before a trial to find out the status of the case to prevent witnesses from showing up when trials have been put off Stand by status The officer provides a phone number and promises to appear in court within an hour after being notified so he doesn t lose sleep waiting Stress inoculation The psychological approach to stress management that teaches people to recognize the signs of oncoming stress and to counter with relaxation techniques Post shooting trauma Emotional aftermath for an officer who uses fatal force in the line of duty Early warning program Identifies problem prone officers and marks them for participation in employee counseling relies upon officer mishaps Why are officers reluctant to seek stress counseling They are distrustful of outsiders and fear that the paper trail in counseling may haunt them later Who polices the police Agency Internal Affairs UnitState Licensing Authority Federal CourtsState Courts Policy Guidelines Necessary to prevent unarticulated improvisation
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