Abstract
In addition to the physical and emotional challenges faced by law enforcement professionals, the job confronts officers with numerous moral risks. The moral risks include moral distress, moral injury, ethical exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and practices that lead to lapses in ethical decision-making. The paper focuses on what police agencies can do to better address the moral risks of policing. These moral risks are central to officer wellness and, thus, a crucial component of officers’ operational readiness. Strategies are presented that will improve prevention efforts, including recruiting and hiring, training, supervision, and promotional practices. Additionally, the paper offers recommendations for effective approaches to intervention with officers who have displayed the effects of these moral risks. Finally, the paper highlights the kind of law enforcement leaders who are best able to implement strategies designed to prevent negative outcomes associated with the moral risks of policing.
Highlights
Introduction and Statement of the ProblemThere are well-understood, but under-researched moral risks inherent in routine police work [1,2,3].These risks take two paths, which synergistically impact each other
Compassion fatigue, has been described as “the cost of caring” ([6], p. 9), which leaves officers feeling helpless and powerless to alleviate others’ suffering. This is differentiated from emotional exhaustion [7,8,9], whereby the emotional labor exerted to display emotions to the public other than those that an officer actual feels leads to exhaustion and burnout
When law enforcement leaders recognize the various ways in which the moral risks of policing impact their officers, greater attention can be paid to prevention efforts
Summary
There are well-understood, but under-researched moral risks inherent in routine police work [1,2,3]. Some of the moral risks that cause officers to experience emotional and/or spiritual distress lead to lapses in ethical decision-making. Police officers can experience a moral injury when they are ordered to perform enforcement actions that run contrary to their personal values, which leaves them with feelings of guilt or shame. It can result from feelings of anger when officers feel betrayed by the behavior of trusted colleagues and/or supervisors, including when supervisors give orders that officers view as morally wrong. Proactive wellness efforts, availability of mental health services, and supervision practices that attend to the moral risks of policing are meant to intervene at the first signs of officers’ emotional and/or spiritual distress. CBAs, which center on the moral risks of policing; and, expanding the focus beyond the organization, to include members of the community
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
