Police Stress

Police Stress and Some Remedies Burned When Out - "Burned Up and Out" looks at the psychological phenomenon commonly known as "burn out". The focus is on the manifestation of "burn out" in law enforcement officers.

Criminal Stress - "Criminal Control System" looks at the Criminal Justice System from the perspective of being a system of social control instead of a system of justice. The goal of criminal law is to control behavior, which is a valid goal in itself, but which should not be confused with justice. The article is written to speak to a law enforcement audience but applies to anyone who is concerned with the criminal justice system as it operates in America, primarily in law enforcement. Death in the Police Family (when it's your own) - "Death in the Police Family" considers how Americans experience death in the last decade of the twentieth century.  The death experience has changed dramatically in this century and the change has profound implications for how Americans cope with tragedy. The principles in the essay about death and grief are universal. The specific suggestions for police agencies apply to any agency seeking to comfort its members at times of death.

Discipline is Not Punishment - "Discipline is Not Punishment" examines the punishment mentality of many administrators, in particular police administrators, and offers a better understanding of discipline. This alternate understanding is based on training and learning, and has a long history. Indeed, the base meaning of the term, discipline, involves teaching and learning.

Messengers of Death - "Messengers of Death" suggests guidelines for the dreaded task of delivering news to a family about the death of a loved one. Though written for police officers, anyone who must make death notifications can benefit from the suggestions.

Not so Obvious Police Stress -  "Not So Obvious Police Stress" rethinks the stress that most impacts a police officer. Contrary to what television would lead you to believe, police officers are debilitated by factors other than danger such as bank robberies. These insights are important to citizens as much as to officers, after all, citizens put guns on the people who are being affected by these stressors.

Police Tribe (blue code of silence) - "The Police Tribe" looks at societal forces that foster a system of tribal values among police officers. The "blue code of silence" is a symptom of the tribal value system. How can city administrators and police officers work together to serve their communities given the existence of such forces in the law enforcement community?

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