Perceptual Variations of Stressors Among Police Offenders During an era of Decreasing Crime

This study tested the assumption that law enforcement officers would experience lower levels of stress during an extended period of relatively low crime rates & predominantly report external, non-crime related factors as primary stressors. In a sample of 1022 U.S. police officers, inherent job-related stress was operationalized with 11 items, while external stress was assessed using 5 items: public criticism of police, family demands, threat of lawsuit, personal thoughts of suicide, & racial conflict. Findings are discussed. (43 refs)