Forensic Psychology: Stressful Occupations

If you ever ask a child what he wants to be when he grows up, a possible answer will be a policeman. To kids it looks like an exciting job. They get to wear cool uniforms and drive cars with flashing lights. They also get to have a gun and handcuffs. They are able to give out parking tickets and put people in jail. They are intimidating and people fear them. It looks like a glorifying job. Kids look up to it and think of all the power they could have if they would become a policeman. They don’t think about all the scary and stressful components of being a policeman. Being a policeman or any part of the law enforcement involves much more than flying down the freeway and writing out speeding tickets. There are many dangerous aspects to it. Situations can arise that are extremely risky: car accidents, shooting incidents and life-threatening conditions. In reality, these occupations consist of many hardships and stressful components that can affect one’s physical and psychological wellbeing (Rivers, 1993).

In a normal environment, being a policeman looks like a pretty simple job. Nothing dramatic seems to happen so the cops don’t look too busy. But actually, cops are often exposed to traumatic incidences, which are many times life-threatening. Consequently, they may experience some reactions due to the disturbing events (Rivers, 1993). According to Rivers (1993), recent studies show that around eighty-five percent of emergency personnel that were “involved in traumatic incidents have experienced traumatic stress reactions at some time.” These reactions don’t necessarily last for a long time, but sometimes they can go on for months (Rivers, 1993). Most occupations though, don’t result in traumatic stress reactions. All of a sudden, b...

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...th executions. Psychiatry, 65(4), 358-371. Retrieved from http://www.touro.edu/library/commerdb/proxyTC.asp?http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=279171201&sid=10&Fmt=4&clientId=14844&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Perrin, M. A., DiGrande, L., Wheeler, K., Thorpe, L., Farfel, M., & Brackbill, R. (2007, September). Differences in PTSD prevalence and associated risk factors among world trade center disaster rescue and recovery workers. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(9). Retrieved from http://www.touro.edu/library/commerdb/proxyTC.asp?http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1329950051&sid=10&Fmt=4&clientId=14844&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Rivers, K. (1993). Traumatic stress: An occupational hazard. Employee Counseling Today, 5(1), 4-6. Retrieved from http://www.touro.edu/library/commerdb/proxyTC.asp?http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1072590&sid=5&Fmt=3&clientId=14844&RQT=309&VName=PQD