More stress tips from PSYNET The following are common sources of stress faced by police officers. If they are not handled properly, officers may be affected mentally and physically. I: Stress from within the organisation Regulations and guidelines on discipline requiring police officers to be strictly obedient and offering them little chance for participation in decision-making. Difficulties in conveying views to the management Difficulties in learning new technology. Insufficient manpower and resources. Pressure arising from career advancement and competition among colleagues. Lack of support from superiors and colleagues. II: Stress from job nature Shift duties requiring physical and mental adaptation. Heavy workload. Job duties can be boring and monotonous in one minute but become extremely challenging and dangerous in the next, requiring officers to respond quickly and accurately. Frequent encounters with the dark side of society which may affect the officers' attitude towards life. The responsibility to protect live and property. Frequently facing the possibility of public complaints. The need to handle a variety of tasks properly. III: Stress from the legal system and the public Long and complicated legal proceedings. Huge amount of preparation work before court hearings. Difficulties in initiating a prosecution in some cases. Insufficient evidence to convict defendants. Members of the public might express their anger towards police officers as they are considered 'Government representatives'. Suspects trying to reduce their responsibility in cases by complaining against police officers. Exaggerated and distorted media reports. IV: The influence of police work on officers' families Shift duties affecting officers' time spent with families. Worries of officers' families about the danger of police work. Lack of opportunities and time to share their feelings about work with others. Families failing to understand police work. Officers expressing their frustration from work to spouses and children. Personal problems like drinking, gambling and indebtedness might affect families. (The above contents are extracted from a stress management handbook produced by the Police Psychological Service Group.) << Back to Index >>