“They Talk the Talk but They Don’t Walk the Walk”: A Qualitative Inquiry into Police Officers’ Perceptions of Stress and Stress Management

Abstract

Police officers have one of the most stressful jobs in existence. However, information pertaining to stress management programs is limited, especially within a Canadian context. Furthermore, little is known about the processes through which officers construct their perceptions of stress and stress management since the literature has mainly focused on enumerating the frequency of existing stressors. The present study addresses these limitations by conducting a content analysis of 24 in-depth interviews with officers from a law enforcement agency in Ontario. By drawing on symbolic interactionism, the present study concludes that police officers gravitate toward the “me” or the socialized aspect of the self (Goffman, 1969) when constructing their perceptions of stress and stress management in order to protect their image and avoid stigmatization. Policy implications based on these findings are presented at the end of the study, along with directions for future research.