CJUS- 500
Police Subculture and Mental Health
Liberty University
CJUS 500
Abstract
Over the last decade, law enforcement has become a very challenging career field. The internal
and external stressors that an officer is faced with daily has led to a mental health crisis within
many departments around the country. In recent years, the number one killer for police officers
are not line-of-duty related deaths, rather it is suicide. According to the Ruderman Family
Foundation, in 2017, 129 police officers were killed in the line of duty compared to at least 140
police officers who committed suicide (Heymen et al., 2018). Mental health within the law
enforcement community is a great concern, but individuals within law enforcement are not
seeking professional help. There are many factors why law enforcement officers do not seek
professional help, which is the purpose of this paper to identify and then provide
recommendations to improve the rate at which officers seek help.
Overcoming Police Subculture and Mental Health
Over the last decade, law enforcement has become a very challenging career field.
Negative stories reported by the mass media, recent political movements to reform police, and
the nature of the job itself has caused many people not to enter law enforcement, and many
others to leave the career field altogether. One of the factors related to officers leaving law
enforcement is the lack of proper mental health awareness and aid.
Law enforcement is a very difficult career field. Officers are often exposed to internal and
external stressors that affect their daily life and mental health. Stressors, as defined by Merriam-
Webster dictionary, is anything that causes stress, (Merriam-Webster, n.d.), which is defined as
one of “bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium”
, (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). In short, officers are faced with stress causing situations that causes
bodily or mental tension. Internal stressors that officers face are organizationally related
situations, such as limited promotional opportunities, rotating shifts, long work hours, poor
training, and rigid administrations (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). External stressor, on the other
hand, are incidents where officers are exposed to death, depression, heartache, pure evil, and
quick decision making (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013).
People do not usual clap and cheer when the police show up, unfortunately people yell
awful things at officers for merely doing their job. All of this can take its toll on anyone’s mental
well-being, but the fact of the matter is that police officers do not seek help with their mental
wellness. (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). If not treated, law enforcement officials may have
negative consequences in their personal lives such as alcoholism, depression, aggression,
divorce, isolation from family, absenteeism, and more (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). Factors to
why an officer may not seek professional mental health care include the police subculture and
attitudes towards mental health professionals. (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013, White et al., 2016).
Police Subculture
It is important to understand that, like any career field, there are sets of norms and values
that members with a criminal justice organization are taught from the onset of one’s career. The
subculture within law enforcement is composed of men and women who are exposed to the daily
stressors and trauma, who develop strong bonds and relationships built on trust and oneness
(White et al., 2016). Many new officers are taught the “unwritten rules,” or core values of the
organization that they are expected to adhere to, such as being able to prove his/herself to earn
the trust and respect of senior officers, especially after the field training evaluation program
(FTEP) is complete, be tough enough to handle the job by his/herself, and the skill to control
one’s emotions in every situation (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). New recruits, once accepted, are
Police Subculture and Mental Health
Liberty University
CJUS 500
Abstract
Over the last decade, law enforcement has become a very challenging career field. The internal
and external stressors that an officer is faced with daily has led to a mental health crisis within
many departments around the country. In recent years, the number one killer for police officers
are not line-of-duty related deaths, rather it is suicide. According to the Ruderman Family
Foundation, in 2017, 129 police officers were killed in the line of duty compared to at least 140
police officers who committed suicide (Heymen et al., 2018). Mental health within the law
enforcement community is a great concern, but individuals within law enforcement are not
seeking professional help. There are many factors why law enforcement officers do not seek
professional help, which is the purpose of this paper to identify and then provide
recommendations to improve the rate at which officers seek help.
Overcoming Police Subculture and Mental Health
Over the last decade, law enforcement has become a very challenging career field.
Negative stories reported by the mass media, recent political movements to reform police, and
the nature of the job itself has caused many people not to enter law enforcement, and many
others to leave the career field altogether. One of the factors related to officers leaving law
enforcement is the lack of proper mental health awareness and aid.
Law enforcement is a very difficult career field. Officers are often exposed to internal and
external stressors that affect their daily life and mental health. Stressors, as defined by Merriam-
Webster dictionary, is anything that causes stress, (Merriam-Webster, n.d.), which is defined as
one of “bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium”
, (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). In short, officers are faced with stress causing situations that causes
bodily or mental tension. Internal stressors that officers face are organizationally related
situations, such as limited promotional opportunities, rotating shifts, long work hours, poor
training, and rigid administrations (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). External stressor, on the other
hand, are incidents where officers are exposed to death, depression, heartache, pure evil, and
quick decision making (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013).
People do not usual clap and cheer when the police show up, unfortunately people yell
awful things at officers for merely doing their job. All of this can take its toll on anyone’s mental
well-being, but the fact of the matter is that police officers do not seek help with their mental
wellness. (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). If not treated, law enforcement officials may have
negative consequences in their personal lives such as alcoholism, depression, aggression,
divorce, isolation from family, absenteeism, and more (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). Factors to
why an officer may not seek professional mental health care include the police subculture and
attitudes towards mental health professionals. (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013, White et al., 2016).
Police Subculture
It is important to understand that, like any career field, there are sets of norms and values
that members with a criminal justice organization are taught from the onset of one’s career. The
subculture within law enforcement is composed of men and women who are exposed to the daily
stressors and trauma, who develop strong bonds and relationships built on trust and oneness
(White et al., 2016). Many new officers are taught the “unwritten rules,” or core values of the
organization that they are expected to adhere to, such as being able to prove his/herself to earn
the trust and respect of senior officers, especially after the field training evaluation program
(FTEP) is complete, be tough enough to handle the job by his/herself, and the skill to control
one’s emotions in every situation (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). New recruits, once accepted, are
