NCJ Number: 193546
Title: Developing Policy To Combat Police Suicide (From Suicide and Law Enforcement, P 181-191, 2001, Donald C.
Sheehan and Janet I. Warren, eds. -- See NCJ-193528)
Document: PDF |PDF
Author(s): Ronald R. Thrasher
Date Published: 2001
Annotation: Based in the view that police suicide results from a
socialization process of learned behavior, this article discusses
ways in which police organizations can influence the learning of
positive behaviors for coping with stress.
Abstract: Learned behavior begins by observing an action, situation, or
behavior. The behavior is then cognitively coded in a retention
process that relates the new memory to other similar occurrences
and then plays out the behavior in a mental performance. Learning
occurs when the learned behavior is physically performed. Police
aspirants generally observe and learn their police roles or
police behavior from two sources: "war stories" and the media. These sources portray the police role as constantly heroic and
life-threatening. Many individuals rely on this information in
making the decision to enter a police career. The selection
process reinforces many of the role expectations and the freedom
to violate social patterns learned from "war stories" and the
media. In the academy and in field training, officers are
conditioned to be alert to possible dangers, even though they may
rarely occur. This constant state of alertness takes its toll on
both officers and their families. Once off-duty, emotionally
exhausted officers find ways to cope with their emotional "roller
coaster." Ways of coping may include withdrawal,
noncommunication, "mindless" television, and other pursuits that
foster isolation. Some officers overcompensate with drugs,
anxiety addiction, or prescription medication. Suicide is another
form of learned behavior for coping with stress. Unfortunately,
suicide becomes so ingrained in the socialization process of the
police culture that preventive techniques must be incorporated in
all phases of the socialization into police work and its
stresses. Suggestions offered in this article include training in
positive coping mechanisms, the encouragement of healthy
interests and activities outside the police culture, and the
provision of peer support groups, spouse academies, and mandated
use of employee assistance programs.
Main Term(s): Police suicide
Index Term(s): Police management; Police occupational stress; Police policies and procedures; Police stress training; Police subculture; Suicide causes; Suicide prevention
Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
Sale Source: US Dept of Justice
Page Count: 11
Format: Document
Type: Issue Overview
Language: English
Country: United States of America
Note: A paper submitted to the Suicide and Law Enforcement Conference,
FBI Academy, Quantico, VA, September 1999.
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