Psychological Risks of Police Work - Coursework Example

Psychological Risks in Police Work: A Case Study of Officer Walker al affiliation Psychological Risks in Police Work: A Case Study of Officer WalkerAs a police officer, Walker’s nature of work makes him vulnerable to psychological stress that can adversely affect his professional and personal life (Regehr, et al., 2008). For example,when Walker and another probationary officer respond to a bank robbery, Walker decides that they should go in and confront the criminal but the probationary officer gets shot in the leg in the process.

Although Walker shoots the criminal and kills him, he is accused of putting the life of the other officer in danger, and it take a lotof time for him to be cleared. The situation affects Walker psychologically, affects his relationships and his marriage starts falling apart leading to divorce. In the words of Holly, Anthony & Theodore (2011), police officers are vulnerable to psychological stress because of factors such as lack of promotion and dismissal. Another probable psychological risk in Walker’s life is when he gets compulsory retirement because of the recession.

Walker loses his status as a police officer and gets hired as a security guard at the industrial park, a boring and non-rewarding job, misses his family, and engages in excessive drinking. At one point, Walker cannot stand the stress anymore and he shoots himself in the head. Walker would have benefitted a lot form the services of a forensic psychologist. According to Ainsworth (2012), divorce is one of the situations that can lead to stress. Accordingly, an appropriate intervention strategy for a forensic psychologist would be to hold family therapy sessions (Miller, 2006).

In the case of Walker, the forensic psychologist would have conducted a therapy session and explained the nature of Walker’s work. Such therapy would have made Walker’s wife more understanding and maybe they would not havedivorced. Ainsworth (2012) writes that being dismissed from work is another top stressor for police officers. When Walker lost his job, a forensic psychologist should have been there to help Walker with the transition period, from being a police officer to being a normal citizen (Bartol & Bartol, 2011).

Walker should have been counseled on how to handle the transition process and with such help, Walker would have lived and even maybe reconciled with his family. ReferencesAinsworth, P. (2012). Psychology and Policing. Oregon: Willan Publishing. Bartol, C. &Bartol, A. (2011). Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application. Washington DC: Sage Publications. Holly, T., Anthony, K. & Theodore, R. (2011).The Effectiveness of Individual Wellbeing Counseling on the Wellness of Law Enforcement Officers.

Journal of Counseling and Development, 86(1).Miller, L. (2006). Practical Police Psychology: Stress Management and Crisis Interventions for Law Enforcement. Illinois: Charles C Thomas Publisher. Regehr, C., Leblanc, V., Jelley, B. &Barath, I. (2008). Acute Stress and Performance in Police Recruits.Stress and Health, 24, 295-303.