chapter fifteen
TRANSCRIPT
© 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Crisis InterventionWilliam Harmening
Roosevelt University
Harmening, Crisis Intervention: The Criminal Justice Response to Chaos, Mayhem, and Disaster
Chapter 15THE COST OF CRISIS
© 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
15.1
15.2
15.3
To identify the various types of stress impacting criminal justice professionals.
To explain the impact of the police culture on an officer’s response to stress.
To describe both PTSD and PTS and their diagnostic criteria and stages.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
15.4To describe accepted intervention strategies, including
the critical incident stress debriefing and psychological first aid.
To identify the various types of stress impacting criminal justice professionals.
Learning ObjectivesAfter this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
15.1
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15.1 Types of Stress
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And, when you look in the abyss, the abyss also looks into you”
—Friederich Nietzsche
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15.1 Types of Stress
The High Cost of Job-related Stress
• From 1990 thru 1998, 22 Chicago police officers committed suicide.
• During this same period, 20 LAPD officers killed themselves.
• From 1985 to 1998, 87 NYPD officers committed suicide.
The rate of suicide is even worse among correctional officers.
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15.1 Types of Stress
Types of Stress
• VICARIOUS STRESS
Stress that results indirectly from interacting with or observing others in crisis.
• OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
Stress resulting from the demands, risks, and dangers experienced while on the job.
• PROFESSIONAL STRESS
Stress resulting from the organizational-logistical demands of the job.
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15.1 Types of Stress
Types of Stress
Professional stress may be related to the following…
• Shift work and its impact on the family• Unproductive management styles• Unnecessary paperwork• Minimal sentences for offenders• Lack of training and equipment• lack of respect by the public• Antagonistic cliques and subcultures• Self-doubts about performance
To explain the impact of the police culture on an officer’s response to stress.
Learning ObjectivesAfter this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
15.2
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15.2 The Police Culture
The Role of the Police Culture in Stress• The police culture is empowered by an us vs. them attitude among officers. This leads to social isolation.
• Masculine social structures within the profession create a situation where officers have few viable options for managing their stress, and the options that are selected, such as excessive drinking and aggression, are oftentimes unhealthy and unethical.
• The perception is typically such that officers believe that to be effective they must present themselves to the public as fearless, authoritative, and uncompromising. To facilitate this, they adopt a new identity, the police identity.
• Correctional officers have their own unique identity that includes the absolute necessity of never showing weakness in front of the inmate population.
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15.2 The Police Culture
The Role of the Police Culture in Stress
Obstacles to effectively dealing with stress…
• A law enforcement culture that emphasizes strength and control.
• Negative perceptions and distrust of mental health providers.
• The stigma associated with seeking help.
• General concern about loss of privacy.
• Embarrassment and shame
The police culture is a double-edged sword for those officers who choose to immerse themselves in it. It can bolster an officer’s ability to physically protect themselves, but it can just as effectively cause their emotional decline.
To describe both PTSD and PTS and their diagnostic criteria and stages.
Learning ObjectivesAfter this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
15.3
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15.3 PTSD and PTS
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The most common diagnosis given to criminal justice professionals suffering the debilitating effects of accumulated stress and trauma.
Came to the forefront of the mental health profession’s awareness during and after the Vietnam War. Symptoms include:
• Re-experiencing symptoms• Avoidance symptoms• Hyperarousal
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15.3 PTSD and PTS
Police Trauma Syndrome
Because police and correctional officers don’t always easily fit the PTSD diagnosis, Dr. Beverley Anderson (2002) developed the PTS diagnosis.
PTS develops over time and follows a particular sequence of stages…
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15.3 PTSD and PTS
Police Trauma Syndrome• The Rookie stageDuring this stage the officer tries to maintain an ideological view of the job. At this stage they simply repress stress-related emotions in order to maintain what they believe to be the appropriate police image.
• The John Wayne stageDuring this stage the officer tends to move from repressing emotions to acting out their opposites (reaction-formation). Now they may joke in the presence of dead bodies and project an image of toughness in response to feelings of weakness.
• The Professional stageNow they simply deny any emotions. They dehumanize, depersonalize, and desensitize.
• The Burnout stageNow their defenses are breaking down. Their self-image begins to unravel and they lose their sense of mission and purpose. Intervention is critical at this point.
• Police Trauma Syndrome(Next slide)
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15.3 PTSD and PTS
Police Trauma Syndrome (symptoms)• Sleep difficulties• Anxiety attacks and depression• Flashbacks and intrusive thoughts• Extreme mood swings with periods of rage• Social isolation• Drug and alcohol abuse• Suicidal ideation
To describe accepted intervention strategies, including the critical incident stress debriefing and psychological first aid.
Learning ObjectivesAfter this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
15.4
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
During this phase team members attempt to create a safe atmosphere for officers. They introduce themselves and explain how they became part of the team. During this phase officers are also assured of the confidential nature of the meeting.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
During this phase each participant in turn discusses their involvement in the matter. This allows officers to begin talking about the event on a cognitive level, and in a non-threatening way. It also reduces self-doubt by providing reassurance to all the officers that things were done properly.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
During this phase each participant discusses what they were thinking during the event. It personalizes the event for each officer and prepares the way to discuss their emotions.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
Now the officers begin to explore their emotions during and after the event. This is oftentimes the most threatening point in the debriefing. They are not asked to share their feelings unless they choose to do so. By externalizing these emotions, they can avoid repressing them or dealing with them in unhealthy ways.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
During this phase the officers discuss any changes that have taken place since the event. This is also an educational phase, as team members discuss the effects and symptoms of stress-related disorders.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
During this phase the officers learn about healthy coping strategies and community resources that are available if needed.
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15.4 Interventions
Critical Incident Stress DebriefingThe debriefing is intended to provide a safe forum for those exposed to a traumatic event to describe and externalize their emotions before they rely on unhealthy defense mechanisms to cope with the stress.
The debriefing consists of seven phases…
• Introduction phase• Fact phase• Thought phase• Reaction phase• Symptom phase• Teaching phase• Re-entry phase
A way to gain closure before ending the meeting. Questions are answered, and team members summarize what took place. Participants are encouraged to continue processing the event in healthy ways, and the meeting is concluded.
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15.4 Interventions
Psychological First AidAn alternative to CISD. It is not about having participants verbalize their thoughts and feelings, but about providing various types of support while officers process traumatic events as they normally do. The process has three main goals:
1. Re-create a sense of safety
2. Reestablish meaningful social connections
3. Reestablish a sense of efficacy, or a belief in oneself that they performed appropriately, and that they are capable of returning to their jobs and conducting themselves in a professional manner.
The type of support offered depends on the circumstances of the event. It may involve logistical support, a mental health referral, or something as simple as listening while they talk. Or it may involve nothing at all.
© 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Police and correctional officers are under a tremndous amount of stress everyday. They suffer the effects of vicarious, occupational, and professional stress. Their
suicide rates are higher than the national average.
The police culture has a significant impact on how officers deal with stress. It prevents them at times from processing traumatic events in a healthy way,
and may even contribute to unhealthy ways of dealing with the stress, such as alcohol or aggression.
Prolonged exposure to trauma and stress may result in a diagnosis of PTSD when the officer is no longer
able to perform their duties. Police Trauma Syndrome is a model that shows a clear progression to serious
stress disorder.
To proactively head off the negative effects of stress following a traumatic event, many departments have
their officers go through a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) to externalize their emotions in a
safe environment.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
15.1
15.2
15.3
15.4
© 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, IncUpper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss our cultural view of police officers, and how this has contributed to the development of the modern police culture.
2. Discuss the importance of a correctional officer’s demeanor to their personal safety on the job, and how their demeanor may impact their ability to deal with stress in a healthy manner.
3. Discuss the suicide rates among police officers as outlined in the chapter, and give some reasons why you believe those rates are as high as they are.