Date of Award
9-1-2020
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Criminology and Criminal Justice
First Advisor
Giblin, Matthew
Abstract
This thesis examines the idea that police officers have supportive factors in their lives which influence coping mechanisms used to handle occupational stress. This idea comes from police culture literature which suggests that officers are encouraged to use maladaptive coping strategies like drinking and emotional suppression to deal with stress. Additional research on management support and family support are introduced as alternative supportive factors which can promote the use of adaptive coping like agency offered services and programs. This thesis uses data from “Work and Family Services for Law Enforcement Personnel in the United States” (Robert, O’Quin, & Kennedy, 2000). A subset of questionnaire items and officer responses are coded and run through statistical analysis including linear regression and logistic regression. Finally, findings are discussed and future research on the topic is suggested.
Access
This thesis is Open Access and may be downloaded by anyone.