NCJ Number
84159
Date Published
1982
Length
169 pages
Annotation
This book provides the police couple with a greater understanding of police work and how the job and its stresses and demands affect the officer and his wife.
Abstract
The work begins with an overview of police work in which common police officer personality characteristics are identified and related to traits required of a spouse for compatibility. The single quality mentioned most frequently in describing the successful officer is the desire to help others. The wife of an officer must learn to handle stress well and be flexible with regard to schedules. The stages of adaptation to policing and the potential for discouragement are analyzed for their impact on the relationship. Subsequent chapters focus on the symptoms and effects of job stress and on the value of effective communication skills. Common marital problems, such as coping with the unpredictability of officers' schedules, are identified, and suggested solutions and problem solving techniques are discussed. The concluding chapter offers recommendations for improving police-community relations. Throughout the book, guidelines, checklists, and self-assessment inventories are employed to clarify problems and processes. Over 80 references, an index and an appended list of relevant contacts for stress-related marital problems are provided. (Author summary modified)