Stress In Law Enforcement

Law enforcement personnel face many unique challenges on a daily basis. If not controlled properly, stress may not only affect an officer's well-being, but also the ability to protect themselves and the citizens they serve. There is plenty of evidence and research showing unmanaged stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Bond, 2014). However, there are steps that law enforcement officers can take to reduce the amount of stress from which they suffer. Police officers experience frequent and ongoing stressors in their work. These stressors range from cumulative stress (constant risk on the job, the need for adherence to often restricting and conflicting regulations, public perceptions that may be inaccurate) to critical incidents such as violent crimes, shootings and mass disasters. There are also several sources of psychological stress, which include, characteristics within the organization, criminal justice practices, public practices, and police work itself (Trauma Center, n.d.).

Joel Neuman, who studies aggression in the work place at the State University of New York at New Paltz, is quoted on this topic by saying, “There are a number of occupations where people find themselves in jeopardy because of the nature of their work. At least the police are trained and hopefully prepared to deal with these potential conflicts or assaults, and there are a lot of professions where people don’t receive that kind of training.” Even with that being said, in the same 2013 study, police officers were ranked the second highest in being murdered on the job (Ehrenfreund,