Country Variation in Negative Outcomes

Abstract

This study examines the types and number of negative outcomes associated with police work across five countries. Self-report online surveys completed by 1,286 officers from the US (N = 838), Canada (N=231), United Kingdom (N= 102), Australia (N=58), and New Zealand (N=57) were compared. Officers’ responses to an open-ended question asking them to describe any negative or adverse outcomes of their work were classified into 35 categories, which were then coded into (a) eight themes (i.e., wellness, injury, family, stigma, job adversities, divorce, other, and none) and (b) one sum score (with none scored as 0). According to ANOVA and chi-square tests of the eight themes, all but two negative outcomes reported (i.e., divorce, other) differed significantly by country. Findings held in the logistic regressions when controlling for officer demographics (e.g., sex, age, race, children, military experience), time in policing, and department size. Further, the sum of the negative outcomes was significantly associated with country of origin using Poisson regression. Officers from Canada and the U.K. reported fewer, whereas Australian officers reported a greater number of negative outcomes than their American counterparts, net of the effects of critical incidents, alcohol use, traumatic symptomatology, and the controls. Policy implications are discussed.