BLUE KNIGHTS
BLUE KNIGHTS
CHAPTER NY XVIII
10 REASONS WHY POLICE OFFICERS ARE DIFFERENT
1 . Law Enforcement Officers are seen as authority figures. People deal with them differently and treat them differently, even when they are not working. When a problem occurs, everyone looks the the Officer to "take charge" and "solve the problem"
2 . They are isolated. The wearing of a badge, uniform, and gun makes a Law Officer separate from society. This separation leads to many psychological effects which research shows can create negative personality traits.
3. Law Enforcement Officers work in a quasi-military, structured institution. There are proven mental health concerns working in an "institution."
4 . Shift work is not normal. The "rotating shift" schedule is very taxing on an officers life. Our bodies are adjusted to what is called "circadian schedules" which is a repetitive daily cycle.
5 . Camaraderie can be a two edged sword. The law enforcement job nurtures a sense of teamwork and unity with co-workers, what was once called "esprit de corps." It also stimulates a sense of belonging that can create an "us or them" view of the world.
6 . Even the stress is different. Officers have a different type of stress in their jobs, called "burst stress." Burst stress means there is not always a steady stressor, but at times, there is an immediate "burst" from a low stress to a high stress state. In others words, officers go from complete calm , to high activity and pressure in one "burst."
7 . The need to be in constant emotional control. Law Enforcement Officers have a job that requires extreme restraint under highly emotional circumstances.
8 . The Law Enforcement Officer works in a fact-based world with everything compared to written law. In the rest of their life areas, clear right s and wrongs don't occur as often.
9 . The "at work" world of a officer is very negative. He sees the bad part of society - the criminal, the abuser of rules. This may skew the officer's opinions on the character of the average human being. It creates a cynicism, a critical view of the world.
10 . Some children of Law Enforcement Officers have a more difficult adjustment, given their parent's authoritative role in the community, which can become an authoritarian style given child non-comlpiance
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