Occupational Strain in Policing: How Stress Shapes Attitudes Toward Force and Procedural Justice

• In Event: Policing in Chinese Societies

Abstract

Police work is often depicted as a highly stressful profession, with officers facing substantial job-related stress and high turnover rates. Occupational stress can also contribute to increased occupational anger and other negative emotions. While the significance of stress in policing is well acknowledged, its impact on officers’ attitudes toward the use of force and procedural justice remains underexplored. This study utilizes data from over 800 police officers in Taiwan in 2024 and applies Agnew’s (1992, 2006) General Strain Theory as a theoretical framework. It aims to investigate the direct relationship between occupational stress and officers’ attitudes toward the use of force and external procedural justice, as well as the indirect relationship mediated by occupational anger. Additionally, the study accounts for the influences of officers’ self-legitimacy and moral disengagement. Implications of the studies will be discussed.

Authors

• Xiaoshuang Iris Luo, University of Akron

• Yi-Syuan (Ethan) Jian, University of Delaware

• Chiao-Yu Yang, Morgan State University