Overstressing the Influence of Police Stress: A Review of the Evidence

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

The current review offers an analysis of peer-reviewed studies (1985-2015) which have sought to examine the impact of police officer stress on adverse behavioral outcomes. The outcomes are separated into three categories: job-related (e.g. turnover and absenteeism, job performance, use of force), interpersonal (intimate partner violence and family conflict), and intrapersonal (alcohol and drug use). Based on the findings summarized, it appears that a primary limitation of the scholarship is that it is largely exploratory and thus has yet to establish conclusive findings on how police stress affects police behavior. A contributing factor to this limitation is that the bulk of the studies do not define or measure police stress the same way. Indeed, many of the studies examined measure the relationship between police behavior and unique stressors in policing versus overall levels of police officer stress. Most surprising is the dearth of studies measuring the impact of police stress on officers’ use of force and job performance. The review concludes with suggestions for future research given emerging methodologies utilizing biological stress indicators.

Authors

• Leah Anna Ouellet, Wayne State University

• Brad W. Smith, Wayne State University

• Charles F. Klahm IV, Wayne State University