Police and alcohol abuse - Research Paper Example

Introduction Alcohol forms a significant component of cultural, social and interpersonal associations in most societies across the world. According to Doherty and Roche (2003), alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world in spite of its well documented adverse effects on health and social order. Medically, research has demonstrated that consuming moderate amounts of the beverage is beneficial to health by reducing incidents of cardiac ailments especially among the elderly (Lindsay, 2008). However alcohol abuse is a major global concern, affecting people in various professional backgrounds. The police are one of the most affected by the problem and their work environment is a major factor that aggravates the situation in the profession. This paper is a critical examination of alcohol abuse and the police. The adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption to the user and others are documented in numerous research studies. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major contributing factor of premature death, high morbidity rates and accidents in the population. In addition, it increases of interpersonal violence and aggravates mental illnesses such as depression resulting to high suicidal rates in the contemporary society (Doherty and Roche 2003). In the police force, alcohol consumption does not only cause health problems, but also impacts negatively on the officers’ performance. In a profession that requires high levels of alertness, alcohol use lowers reaction time and reduces mental and physical coordination. A combination of these factors results to reduced productivity in the work place, high levels of absenteeism and increases the risks of work related injuries and accidents(Lindsay, 2008). Research findings on drinking habits of police officers indicate that they drink higher quantities of alcohol in a given occasion compared to the general population (Amaranto, et al 2003). Several factors are attributed for alcohol abuse in the police. These include work related stress, poor leadership in the policing departments and police culture. Occupational stress is the main cause of high rate of alcohol abuse in the police (Amaranto, et al 2003). According to Walker et al (1993), occupational stress is a condition that arises from negative perception of a particular phenomenon in the environment, and is aggravated by poor coping mechanisms resulting to adverse psychological and physical impacts on a person. Walker et al (1993) argued that police occupation is high stress job and the pressure originates from diverse sources directly and indirectly associated with policing. The major causes of stress include poor relations between the police and the community, legal procedures such as numerous court appearances, understaffing and prolonged working hours in the job which deny the officers sufficient time for relaxation. In addition, the profession is high risk, which exposes the officers to elevated incidents of physical harm. These adverse working conditions are often aggravated by poor or lack of support from the senior officers to their juniors (Amaranto, et al 2003). Lindsay (2008) argues that the increased physical danger for the officers on duty is one of the most common causes of stress, a situation that is not helped by indifference and pressure to perform from the seniors. In policing, Walker et al (1993) indentified family-work conflict and organizational shortcomings in police structure as the major contributors of occupational stress. A study conducted by Lindsay (2008) established that most police organizations lack adequate leadership and support, which cause high level of stress amidst fast organizational transformation. In addition, the internal investigations within the organization and leniency from the civil legal bodies towards criminals were indentified as major causes of occupational stress among the police officers (Lindsay, 2008). For effective law enforcement in society, it is important for the police officers to feel valued for their contribution and receive constant and timely support from the seniors. However, Amaranto et al (2003) established that police officers generally lack acknowledgement and reinforcement from the larger policing structure, causing resentment and resentment in the work place. The poor working conditions demoralize the officers and alcoholism becomes the most appropriate mechanism of coping with their frustrations. In another research study examining the factors that contributes to high levels of alcoholism in the police, Walker, et al (1993) established heavy work load, difficulties in carrying out particular duties and lack of independence in undertaking investigations and other law enforcement duties contributed significantly to high incidences of alcoholism in the police force. The working conditions in the police closely resemble organization in the military, which are characterized by frequent changes in shifts and lack of enough opportunities to progress in the career due to stiff competition. According to Amaranto et al (2003), the hierarchical structure in the command of the police force, pressure and demand to comply with the established order encourage development of a herd mentality in the police force, characterized by alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism. In addition, police officers with alcohol problems are protected with paternalistic structure, which limits their access for outside help and counseling services (Amaranto, et al 2003). Hence the working conditions within the police force create favorable conditions for alcohol abuse. The frequent changes of working stations and shifts impacts negatively on the family life of police officers leading to instability that contributes to alcohol abuse. Shift work is major occupational stressor because it involves sudden changes in schedule of work. In the police, work shifts are usually sudden, at any time of the day or night which disrupts sleeping patterns. Naturally, human beings are structured to work during the day and rest at night. The unstructured working schedule in the police force contributes significantly to metal and physical exhaustion leading to development of stress (Walker, et al 1993). Sleep is very important for optimal mental and psychological performance of an individual. Therefore, work shifts contribute significantly to development of stress and lack of appropriate coping mechanisms in the policing organisation lead many officers to engage in alcohol abuse (Walker, et al 1993). Amaranto, et al (2003) investigated the impact of conflict between family and occupation of police on the levels of stress among the officers and established that it is one of the major sources of stress among the officers. According to Amaranto et al (2003), the demands to meet work responsibilities and family duties usually clash because of the unstructured nature of policing duties. The conflicts are major causes of emotional disturbances among the police officers, which undermine their mental health. Family –occupational conflict contribute significantly to police inclination towards alcohol abuse for relaxation and reducing the tension (Lindsay, 2008). The nature of the occupation discourages establishment of good relations with the civilian population and this impedes establishment of meaningful and emotionally fulfilling relationships. Walker, et al (1993) noted that police occupation is characterized by role conflicts, which arises from ambiguous or unclear directions from the senior supervisors. This could lead to unsatisfactory performance from the officer, conflict of interests between the junior officers and the seniors in addition to work overload. High levels of role contradictions increase occupation- family conflicts, causing more stress and inclination towards alcoholism (Walker, et al, 1993). Another factor that contributes to high levels of alcohol abuse in the police is occupational socialization. Amaranto, et al (2003, p51) define occupational socialization as “the process whereby a member learns and adopts the habit or tradition associated with the organization in order to function properly and cope with challenges associated with the occupation. In police, occupational socialization is attained through formal training and informal methods. Some of influential informal methods of socialization include role modeling and peer influence (Walker, et al 1993). The policing environment is characterized by high levels of aggression, assertiveness and competition. Recruits become socialized in the masculine profession, which plays a major role in adoption of destructive behaviors including alcohol abuse (Amaranto, et al 2003). A study conducted by Lindsay (2008) established that female police officers try to emulate their male counterparts’ behavior including excessive consumption of alcohol. Conclusion High level of alcohol abuse in the police is mainly a maladaptive coping strategy to deal with the high levels of stress associated with the occupation. Various research studies have indicated that drinking alcohol appears to be the most ideal method of coping, in an organization that provides limited psychological support to its employees. Walker et al (1993) noted that when certain behavior is valued in a particular organization, it becomes entrenched in the culture. Alcohol tradition has persisted for long time in the police organization. Therefore, incoming recruits adopt the habit, which increase their risk of becoming alcoholic. This makes the police to be among the leading organization with very high levels of alcohol abuse in the contemporary society. References Amaranto, E., et al (2003). Police stress interventions. Brief Treatment and Crisis Interventions, 3(1): 47-55. Doherty, S., and Roche, A. (2003). Alcohol and licensed premises: Best practice in policing a monograph for police and policy makers. Retrieved on 20 April 2012, from http://www.ndlerf.gov.au/pub/licensed_prem.pdf Lindsay, V. (2008). Police officers and their alcohol consumption: Should we be concerned? Police Quarterly, 11(1): 73-88. Walker, A., et al (1993). Police stress at work. London: The Police Foundation. Read More