SITUATION-SPECIFIC STRESSORS AND TRAINING FOR POLICE (FROM JOB STRESS AND THE POLICE OFFICER - IDENTIFYING STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES - PROCEEDINGS OF SYMPOSIUM, 1975 BY W H KROES, AND J J HURRELL, JR - SEE NCJ-43642)

• NCJ Number: 43647
• Author(s): S L BRODSKY
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Superintendent of Documents, GPO
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: THE SYMPOSIUM WAS HELD IN CINCINNATI, OHIO ON MAY 8 & 9, 1975, AND CHAIRED BY DR WILLIAM H KROES

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERIES OF FILMED ENACTMENTS FOR USE IN SENSITIVITY-REDUCTION TRAINING FOR STATE TROOPERS AND A STUDY OF POLICE OFFICERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE REPORTED.

Abstract

THE FILMED VIGNETTES EMPLOY THE SUBJECTIVE CAMERA TECHNIQUE, IN WHICH ACTORS AND ACTRESSES SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE VIEWER. THE VIGNETTES VARY IN THE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THEY DEPICT (SUPERVISOR-SUPERVISEE INTERACTIONS, INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC IN SITUATIONS NOT INVOLVING LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRAFFIC TICKETING, RACIAL INCIDENTS) AND IN THE DEGREE OF HOSTILITY DIRECTED TOWARD THE VIEWER. THE RESEARCH METHODS USED TO IDENTIFY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, TO FILM THE VIGNETTES, AND TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FILMS IN A TRAINING CONTEXT ARE REVIEWED. THE EVALUATION, CONDUCTED AT THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY, PRODUCED MIXED RESULTS, INCLUDING AN AFFIRMATION BY TRAINEES OF THE GENERAL WORTH OF THE TRAINING TECHNIQUE. IN A SEPARATE EXPERIMENT, 58 POLICE OFFICERS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY IN TUSCALOOSA WERE ASKED TO DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS 'STRENS' (POSITIVE LIFE EXPERIENCES OF MAJOR IMPACT) AND TRAUMAS RELATED TO THEIR CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE SUBJECTS' EMPHASIS ON THE STRENS OF OCCUPATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND HELPING RELATIONSHIPS MAY BE RELEVANT TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF POLICE VULNERABILITY TO JOB STRESSORS. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.