Creating a Culture of Police Officer Wellness

Cohen, Irwin M.; McCormick, Amanda V.; Rich, Bob

doi:10.1093/police/paz001

Cited by 23 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…It is through the unique responsibility that managers and supervisors bear, that effective conversations around health and wellness could be used as an opportunity to break down barriers and the stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing, resulting in the creation of positive working environments that not only normalize these conversations but also normalize individual practice of the same. In fact, the literature notes that policing leadership can challenge organizational stigma surrounding mental health and encourage employees to reach out to the appropriate resources (Cohen et al, 2019;Knaak et al, 2019). However, it must be noted that due to the responsibility placed upon managers and supervisors working in this area, organizational support and appropriate training is required to ensure that the same kind of support is extended to them as they work to support and safeguard their personnel.…”

Section: Recommendations For Promising Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

International health and wellness of online child sexual exploitation police personnel: individual, management, and organizational realms of responsibility

2023

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Recognizing the need to better understand the operational and organizational stressors as well as the short- and long-term effects of working in the area of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE), the Virtual Global Taskforce international health and wellness study engaged current and former police personnel (inclusive of civilian and sworn officers) working in this area of specialization. Through the use of an online survey, this study engaged current (n = 516) and former (n = 126) personnel and focused on a thematic exploration of several topics of significance: job demands (sources that create distress), general health outcomes (including specific changes since joining or leaving an OCSE unit), health and wellness policies (beneficial aspects, suggested improvements, and desired components if no policy was in place), job resources (sources of positive energy) and personal resources and coping strategies. Recognizing that the health and wellness of police personnel working in OCSE units is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach, this study proposes a unique approach to understanding these impacts, effects and stressors by showcasing the findings across three distinct realms of responsibility: the individual level, the management level and organizational level highlighting the ways in which these work toward creating a holistic approach to safeguarding and maintaining the health and wellness of police personnel.

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Section: Recommendations For Promising Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

International health and wellness of online child sexual exploitation police personnel: individual, management, and organizational realms of responsibility

2023

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“…Some departmental policies, investigative practices and even some personal characteristics of investigators could also foster resilience to such stress reactions ( 24 ). Indeed, in one study, when the organizational climate was perceived to be positive, investigators were less adversely affected by investigating internet child abuse material ( 2 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practices and Policies Around Wellness: Insights From the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Network

et al. 2022

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This article aims to understand what practices and training Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces and affiliated agencies are currently using to help mitigate distress and promote wellbeing among investigators of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Data were collected via telephone interviews with Commanders of 54 ICAC Task Forces as well as an online survey of 155 investigators at ICAC-affiliated agencies. Sixty-two percent of respondents said their agency had an Officer Wellness Program. Findings highlighted considerable gaps in protective practices with 46.1% of respondents mentioning the need for more wellness resources in their agency for personnel who have viewed CSAM as a high priority. Stigma created by help-seeking was the most widely acknowledged barrier discussed in relation to police wellness. A large and salient problem was the persistent lack of wellness practices in the affiliated agencies in comparison to the Task Forces themselves. Exposure to CSAM can be a source of stress for personnel and the results indicate concern about the problem and a diffusion of proactive initiatives, but barriers and inconsistent adoption remain.

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“…Interestingly, a different study revealed variations in stress levels between male and female officers [5]. Men tended to experience more organizational stress, while women reported higher operational stress levels; however, despite the challenges faced by both genders, both groups demonstrated effective stress-coping strategies [2,5].…”

Section: Police Stress In Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

What Law Enforcement Leaders Can Do To Mitigate Occupational Stress

O. Segovia

2024

Global Trends in Law Enforcement - Theory and Practice

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This chapter synthesizes the peer-reviewed literature and practitioner perspectives on how law enforcement occupational stressors significantly impact individual officers, their agencies, and the communities they serve. There is a clear connection between officer well-being and public safety, with both police agencies and communities benefitting from having healthy officers. Modern-day police leaders recognize the importance of maintaining a physically and mentally healthy workforce and feel ethically responsible for addressing occupational stress among their staff. A systematic literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, ERIC, and the ProQuest Criminal Justice Database. This chapter shows how organizational, operational, and personal factors, such as the work environment and external support systems, play a role in contributing to or worsening occupational stress in law enforcement. In addition, the chapter includes a discussion on research-based strategies that police leaders might find beneficial to reduce officer stressors in the workplace. By implementing these research-based strategies, law enforcement leaders can foster a healthier and more resilient workforce, thereby reducing the adverse effects of occupational stress on their officers and enhancing overall well-being and effectiveness within the law enforcement community. Understanding the root cause of workplace stressors may help promote a healthier workforce.

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Creating a Culture of Police Officer Wellness

Cited by 23 publications

References 61 publications

International health and wellness of online child sexual exploitation police personnel: individual, management, and organizational realms of responsibility

International health and wellness of online child sexual exploitation police personnel: individual, management, and organizational realms of responsibility

Practices and Policies Around Wellness: Insights From the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Network

What Law Enforcement Leaders Can Do To Mitigate Occupational Stress

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