Stress and coping in the South African Police Service

Abstract

Working in the police service can be very demanding on a physical and emotional level. Many police offers often experience stress, trauma and anxiety which even sometimes leads to suicide. In order to deal with the stressors they face, officers have to use various coping methods. This present study aims to analyse the coping strategies used by police officers in the SAPS and whether these coping strategies change over a period of time. The main purpose is to investigate which coping responses are used most by police officers in the SAPS and to determine how the prominence of these coping responses change over a period of time. This study has a longitudinal approach and will add value to the body of research since no longitudinal study has previously been conducted on coping within the SAPS. Three samples, collected at three different points in time, were used in this study. The first sample (n = 1277) was collected while the officers were newly enrolled, the second sample (n = 463) was taken whilst they were undergoing practical training in the college and the last sample (n = 120) was collected when the police officers had spent two years in the field. The Ways of Coping (WoC) questionnaire was used as measuring instrument. The results of this study suggest that police officers predominantly use seeking social support, planful problem solving and positive reappraisal to deal with their daily stress. These responses are mainly seen as adaptive ways of dealing with stress. The coping responses used least includes escape avoidance, accepting responsibility and confrontive coping. There are clear indications that the way in which police officers use coping responses change over time spent in the SAPS. Over time, police officers accepted significantly less responsibility, and made less use of confrontive coping. Police officers also relied more on planful problem solving, positive reappraisal and escape avoidance. On a practical level it is suggested to conduct interventions in all units, divisions and on all levels to reinforce and refresh positive coping strategies in order to enhance the emotional well-being throughout the SAPS.