IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE TRADITIONAL ROLE OF THE POLICE REQUIRES OFFICERS TO BE SINGLE -- MARRIED OFFICERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF FULFILLING THEIR DUTIES PROPERLY. NEVERTHELESS POLICEMEN DO GET MARRIED. FICTIONAL AND NONFICTIONAL LITERATURE DEPICTS THE FAMILY RELATIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS; IN IT MOST POLICE MARRIAGES ARE EITHER UNHAPPY OR END IN TRAGEDY. POLICE OFFICERS, THEIR SPOUSES, AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE PROVIDED WITH QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR THE INFORMATION REPORTED IN THIS STUDY. THE LITERARY PICTURE IS FAIRLY INDICATIVE OF REAL LIFE. POLICE OFFICERS MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE SHOCK OF THEIR DAILY EXPERIENCES. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE THE SUBJECT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRAGES CONSISTING OF RIDICULE AND MALICIOUS JOKES. THERE IS A CERTAIN SOCIAL STIGMA ATTACHED TO THE ROLE OF THE POLICE OFFICER. WHEN IN UNIFORM, WOMEN FIND POLICEMEN EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE. IT IS HARD FOR THEM TO LEAVE THEIR POLICE ROLE WHEN THEY GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. THERE IS A SOCIETAL AURA AROUND THE FAMILY OF A POLICEMAN AS WELL. POLICE WIVES REPORT PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE ROTATING SHIFT WORK AND THE FRUSTRATION OF THEIR HUSBANDS, PROBABLY EVEN MORE OFTEN THAN NONPOLICE WIVES. THE WIVES OF POLICEMEN ARE LARGELY OPPOSED TO THEIR HUSBANDS HAVING A POLICEWOMAN AS A PARTNER. SEVERAL SURVEYS OF POLICE FAMILIES WERE TAKEN TO FIND THEIR REACTIONS TO HOW POLICE ARE DEPICTED BY THE MEDIA, THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF POLICE TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND THEIR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE CAREERS OF THEIR CHILDREN. POLICE CHILDREN ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THEIR FATHERS' JOBS. UP TO THEIR TEENS, THEY ACT THE SAME AS OTHER CHILDREN; BUT AFTER THE CHILDREN REACH ADOLESCENCE, THEY ARE ATTACKED BY THEIR PEERS BECAUSE THEIR FATHER IS A COP AND THEY ARE GIVEN PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY ON THE GOOD SIDE OF THE POLICE. WITH REGARD TO DIVORCE RATES, THE AUTHORS CLAIM THAT POLICE DIVORCES OCCUR NO MORE FREQUENTLY THAN DIVORCES IN OTHER FAMILIES. APPENDIXES INCLUDE SURVEY NOTES, THE QUESTIONNAIRES, AND THE RESPONSES OF THE FAMILIES. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (BAC)