Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify the main sources of stress for law enforcement professionals and the effects that these stressors may have. In researching several studies that have been done, on the topic of police stress in recent years, three main categories of stress and several physiological and psychological health consequences were found to be prevalent in policing. Stressors faced by police officers can be either intra-interpersonal, occupational, or organizational. Law enforcement professionals are more likely to have poor health and be at higher risk of a cardiovascular event than the general population. The effects of the various stressors also may carry over into the personal lives of police officers. Just as in any field of work, policing uses many stress prevention methods. Measures from all three levels of preventive stress management; primary, secondary, and tertiary; are utilized in most law enforcement agencies today to help police officers cope with the inevitable stress they will face in their work and to avoid distress as best as possible. …show more content…
Categories of Police Stress A detailed examination of the police stress literature reveals that it can be compartmentalized into essentially four main categories. The four categories discussed in the research of police stress are intra-interpersonal stressors, occupational stressors, organizational stressors, and health