Stressors In Law Enforcement Essay

Stressors Careers in law enforcement have been shown to produce a great deal of stressors for all officers due to various reasons (Kurtz, 2012; McCarty et al, 2007; Norvell et al., 1993). Job related stress effects, male and female officers, differently but there are no major differences in the effects (Hassell et al., 2011; Norvell et al., 1993; McCarty et al., 2007). However, female officers are effected more by family related stress, as compared to job related stress (Kurtz, 2012; Lonsway, 2003). There are many internal and external factors that account for stressors in the law enforcement community. Job satisfaction is often measured by the amount of stress an officer faces, and if these stressors become too much, job satisfaction will decrease. Female officers seem to be highly satisfied in their …show more content…
Female officers face different stressors compared to their male counterparts. Sources of these stressors stem from gender discrimination, lack of supervisor support, and limited promotional opportunities offered in a male dominated occupation (Hassell et al., 2011; Kurtz, 2012; McCarty et al., 2007). The research regarding job related stress shows that female officers report a slightly higher level of work related stress than male officers, but it was not statistically significant (Kurtz, 2012; McCarty et al., 2007). Some job related stressors that do impact women pertain to physical activity, dissatisfaction with co-workers, and emotional exhaustion (McCarty et al., 2007; Norvell et al., 1993). Female officers do experience overall higher levels of stress, but most are not related to their job (Kurtz, 2012; McCarty et al., 2007). According to Norvell and her coauthors (1993), male officers actually report higher levels of emotional exhaustion, perceived stress, and hassles than females in the same study did. Female officers do not view themselves as less effective than male officers but they do have less self-confidence (Norvell et al.,