The production of occupational stress in medium-sized police agencies: A survey of line officers in eight municipal departments

Abstract

This study assessed self-reports of occupational sources of stress among line officers in eight medium-sized police departments. In a survey of eight municipal police departments in Illinois, police personnel were asked to identify their principal sources of stress. Responses were coded into five categories or “domains of content.” These domains were identified as the organization, the task environment, the judiciary, personal or family concerns, and city government. Organizationally based issues were most likely to be selected as sources of stress, with problems relating to superiors emerging as the most frequently cited stressor. Shift changes were the second most frequently selected stressor. Concerns over occupational danger, widely thought to be a source of stress among police officers, were among the least frequently identified stressors.