Yakimova Z.V. —
Professional Stress in Law Enforcement: Foreign and Domestic Research Experience
// Psychologist. – 2023. – ¹ 1.
– P. 32 - 50.
DOI: 10.25136/2409-8701.2023.1.39851
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/psp/article_39851.html
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Abstract: The object of the study is professional stress, which is understood as a particular variant of the general adaptation syndrome, which is a functional state associated with the performance of professional activity, expressed in mental and physical reactions to stressful work situations that arise under the influence of emotionally negative and extreme factors. The subject of the study is the categories of professional stress analysis of Russian police officers. The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis of the experience of foreign and domestic studies of professional stress in law enforcement; identification of categories of analysis of professional stress on a sample of Russian police officers. In the empirical part, a content analysis of respondents' responses to a subjective description of professional stress situations is carried out. The main conclusions of the study are:
1. The topic of professional stress in the activities of law enforcement agencies has received quite a lot of attention in both foreign and domestic studies, but they are of a private detailed nature, comprehensive studies, there is no integration of results.
2. The efforts of foreign researchers are aimed at developing trainings and training programs for coping with stress and rehabilitation of both active and retired officers. Domestic researchers propose to introduce stress resistance trainings already in the process of training cadets and undergoing initial police training, which is quite appropriate. For current employees, domestic researchers suggest using general psychological tools for psychocorrection of stress, but it should be adapted to the specifics of the professional activities of police officers.
3. The conducted content analysis of Russian police officers' perceptions of professional situations that cause stress revealed 8 key units of analysis: competencies; work parameters; social interaction; working conditions and organization; threat to personal safety; imbalance; dissatisfaction; personal fears and worries. The high role of personal subjective perception of professional stress situations is illustrated.
4. Promising directions for further research of the topic are highlighted
Yakimova Z.V. —
Verbal Aggression in the Professional Activities of Police Officers
// Psychologist. – 2022. – ¹ 6.
– P. 40 - 56.
DOI: 10.25136/2409-8701.2022.6.39465
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/psp/article_39465.html
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Abstract: The object of the study is verbal aggression, which is understood as a type of aggressive speech behavior, considered as an unecological way to relieve excessive psycho-emotional stress of a person swearing in a situation of stress or conflict while defending his point of view or position.
The subject of the study is the personal qualities that form aggressive behavior, including verbal aggression in the professional activities of police officers.
The purpose of the study is to identify the level of verbal aggression depending on gender, age, level of professional education of police officers, as well as to identify personal qualities that are most correlated with verbal aggression and influence the constructiveness index when choosing strategies to overcome stressful situations in professional activity.
The scientific novelty lies in the differentiation of the goals of various types of aggressive speech behavior; consideration of verbal aggression in the professional activities of police officers both orally when communicating with a different contingent of citizens, and variations of verbal aggression in writing in Internet communications.
As a result of the study, the goals of various types of verbal aggressive behavior were differentiated, including taking into account Internet communications; the highest level of verbal aggression was revealed in male police officers receiving their first higher legal education, belonging to the age category of 26-40 years; verbal aggression is more correlated with positive aggressiveness, irritability; the presence of verbal aggression reduces the index of constructiveness in resolving conflict situations.
Yakimova Z.V. —
Aggressive symptom complex (aggression, aggressiveness, and aggressive behavior) in professional activity of the police officers
// Psychologist. – 2021. – ¹ 6.
– P. 12 - 27.
DOI: 10.25136/2409-8701.2021.6.37101
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/psp/article_37101.html
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Abstract: The subject of this research is the aggressive symptom complex of police officers, which implies a totality of indicators that characterize psycho-emotional state of a person (state of aggression), key characterological traits of personality (aggressiveness as an integral quality of personality), and behavioral patterns (a habit to use elements of aggressive behavior in a particular situation). The object of this research is the level of legitimate use of aggression in professional activities of the police officers. The goal lies in determination of factors that contribute to facilitation and inhibition of the legitimate level of aggression in professional activities of the police officers. Special attention is given to interpretation of aggression as an individual basis, aggressiveness as a personal basis, and aggressive behavior as a subject-activity basis within the structure of human psyche. The individual manifestations of aggressive symptom complex is viewed on the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. The empirical part of the article analyzes the interrelation between the behavioral strategy chosen in a conflict situation, level of communicative aggression, and level of communicative tolerance of the police officers, taking into account gender and age factors. It is established that 85% of the police employees (regardless of gender and age) consciously choose peaceful and nonaggressive strategies to settle the conflict situation, and only 15% prefer aggressive strategy of rivalry. However, the attempt to “restrain oneself” leads to accumulation of psychoemotional tension, which provokes the experience of pleasure from bursts of spontaneous and reflected aggression, and subsequently sense of guilt and a proclivity for auto-aggression. The likelihood of manifestation or non-manifestation of the aggressive symptom complex is substantiated by facilitators / inhibitors of aggression. It was also determined the propensity to establish oneself as a reference model and the rejection of the individuality of another party is first and foremost associated with the specificity of communication cohort of the police officers, and can be considered as an option of psychological defense against premature psychoemotional burnout.