Analyzing Police Work Risk Outcomes - Coursework Example

Police Responses To Stress Police Responses To Stress Police officials experience various events in their daily lives and due to this they end up experiencing stress. In order to cope with stress they indulge in various behaviors that can be categorized as positive as well as negative behaviors (Hennig, 2009). Two common responses that police individuals opt to cope with stressful situations include abuse of substance such as alcohol as well as ideation of suicide (Chopko, 2009). According to a research article authored by Cross, police officials indulge in substance abuse as a response to stress (Cross, 2004).

On the other hand Violanti identified that when police officials experience a stressful event, they are most likely to first start drinking alcohol and then they even start thinking of committing suicide as a response to a stressful event (Violanti, 2004). Police officials may choose both responses, but the likelihood of choosing substance abuse is quite high. This is because abusing substance can help them in gaining relief from the continuous thoughts of the stressful event (Ainsworth, 2002).

Substance abusers are most likely to indulge in the behavior because it makes them feel relaxed and makes them forget about different issues in their lives. Similarly police officials may choose this response to gain relaxation from the event. The likelihood of police officials committing suicide is quite low because most of the police officials may gain relief from substance abuse such as alcohol. Secondly, committing suicide is seen as quite a cowardly act and the way police officials are trained, they are less likely to indulge in a cowardly act.

ReferencesAinsworth, P. (2002). Psychology and policing (1st ed.). Cullompton, Devon, UK: Willan Pub.Chopko, B., & Schwartz, R. (2009). The relation between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth: A study of first responders to trauma-inducing incidents. Journal Of Mental Health Counseling, 31(4), 363--376.Cross, C., & Ashley, L. (2004). Police trauma and addiction: Coping with the dangers of the job. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 73(10), 24--32.Hennig-Fast, K., Werner, N., Lermer, R., Latscha, K.

, Meister, F., & Reiser, M. et al. (2009). After facing traumatic stress: brain activation, cognition and stress coping in policemen. Journal Of Psychiatric Research, 43(14), 1146--1155.Violanti, J. (2004). Predictors of police suicide ideation. Suicide And Life-Threatening Behavior, 34(3), 277--283.